


Cohabitations

by Hester_Of_Ravenswood, TheLonelyDraconequus



Series: RWBY, but Pollination Style [13]
Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, No Smut, No enabler, Surprise Pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:55:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 127
Words: 193,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25279633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hester_Of_Ravenswood/pseuds/Hester_Of_Ravenswood, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLonelyDraconequus/pseuds/TheLonelyDraconequus
Summary: Continuation of the next generation's shenanigans!Side note: No enabler, no smut, as always!!
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee/Yang Xiao Long, Coco Adel/Velvet Scarlatina, Fox Alistair/Yatsuhashi Daichi, Ilia Amitola/Pyrrha Nikos/Sun Wukong, Jaune Arc/Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, Neopolitan/Ciel Soleil, Oscar Pine/Whitley Schnee, Penny Polendina/Winter Schnee, Qrow Branwen/Elm Ederne
Series: RWBY, but Pollination Style [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1661938
Comments: 574
Kudos: 59





	1. Cheat Sheet

Hi! My name’s Ilesha Ajax! If you made it this far, then you probably know who I am! My Aunt, Ivy Vine, said that I just had to write this down, and she’d get it to you! So, the point is, I saw a few people asking for a cheat sheet of the people I grew up with, so I decided to make it for you!

Adolpha Belladonna-Schnee-

Aura Color: Light gray

Team: LAAC

Semblance: Predict possible futures

Weapon: Red hook swords that turns into crossbow

Appearance: 5’9’’, short light gray hair, light gray (not silver) eyes, wolf ears

Type of Faunus: Wolf, ears

Pronunciation: A-doll-fa

Nicknames: Dolphie

Romantic partner: N/A (:D)

Theme Song: Little Lion Man by Tonight Alive

Jin Belladonna-Schnee-

Aura Color: Dirty blond color

Team: JARR

Semblance: Cuts damage in half when hit

Weapon: 7 foot Hammer that looks like mallet that can be rocket powered

Appearance: 6’0’’, long dirty blond hair, lilac eyes

Type of Faunus: Armadillo

Pronunciation: J-in

Nicknames: Jinny (from me!)

Romantic partner: N/A

Theme Song: Ringleader by The Madison Letter

Akio Belladonna-Schnee-

Aura Color: Light/pale green

Team: IMCA

Semblance: Teleportation

Weapon: Saws that are on his forearms that turn to small shields.

Appearance: 5’11’’, brown eyes, light brown hair, short hair

Type of Faunus: N/A

Pronunciation: Aaaaaa-kio

Nicknames: Kio

Romantic partner: N/A

Theme Song: Soldier, Poet, King by The Oh Hellos

Aella Belladonna-Schnee-

Aura Color: Crimson red

Team: JARR

Semblance: Wind manipulation

Weapon: Blowgun, small sickle, tools, push blade, throwing blades, brass knuckles that turn to claws, regular darts that she has stolen from dart boards

Appearance: 5’4’’, “salt and pepper hair” (referred to this by Auntie Yang), shortish hair (mid neck length), yellow eyes

Type of Faunus: Sugar glider, gliders

Pronunciation: Ay-ella

Nicknames: Ally, Allie

Romantic partner: N/A

Theme Song: Odds Are by Barenaked Ladies

Crystal Belladonna-Schnee-

Aura Color: Light blue

Team: LAAC

Semblance: Glyphs (like her mother, Weiss)

Weapon: Rapier (like Weiss)

Appearance: Beautiful. She is _gorgeous_ , and I am so lucky to have her. Have you seen her hair? It’s like in this long ponytail and it’s bright white and I love it. She has a snow leopard tail and it’s white and black and it’s so _cute_ ! It does this little frizzy thing when she’s embarrassed and I still think it’s **adorable**! She’s 5’2’’, adorable little baby girl. And her eyes are this light silver color and I think she could, like, freeze Grimm with it!

Type of Faunus: Snow leopard, adorable tail

Pronunciation: Like the gem cause she is one

Nicknames: Cy, Stally (by me!)

Romantic partner: ME! Ilesha Ajax!!

Theme Song: I Won’t Say I’m In Love by Hercules the movie (have you seen that? It’s great!)

Lavey Belladonna-Schnee-

Aura Color: Dark magenta

Team: LAAC

Semblance: Absorb and later use kinetic energy

Weapon: seven foot bo staff that turns to missile launcher (it’s so cooollll!)

Appearance: She is **gorgeous** !!! She has crimson red hair that looks like blood! It’s _sooo_ cute! And she does this little frown when I say that that makes her look **adorable** ! She has silver eyes like Crystal, I love them! She’s also **so** tiny, like 5’0’’. Her hair is super short and all sticky and spiky kinda like her mother Ruby. I think it makes her look like a puppy!

Type of Faunus: N/A

Pronunciation: Lay-vee

Nicknames: Lav, Lav-Lav (by me!)

Romantic partner: ME! Ilesha Ajax!! I get her **and** Crystal!!

Theme Song: Glory by The Score

Auburn Belladonna-Schnee-

Aura Color: Navy blue

Team: LAAC

Semblance: Can combine and share semblances between people

Weapon:Harpoon that turns to sword

Appearance: 5’8” ,Yellow eyes, dark brown hair almost black

Type of Faunus: Swordfish, gills

Pronunciation: Like the color

Nicknames: Aub, Burn

Romantic partner: N/A

Theme Song: Oops!... I Did it Again by Britney Spears

Cooper Schnee-Poledina-

Aura Color: teal color

Team: IMCA

Semblance: Can talk to machines

Weapon:Different tech gadgets 

Appearance: 5’4’’, blue eyes, white hair

Type of Faunus: N/A

Pronunciation: koo-per 

Nicknames: Coopy Poo (only by me and Aunt Penny)

Romantic Partner: N/A

Theme Song: Sunshine by Jef Joslin

Romy Soliel-

Aura Color: Pink

Team: JARR

Semblance: Telekinetic link

Weapon: Cane that turns to sword

Appearance: 4’9”, Heterochromatic eyes blue and pink, hair is half pink and brown

Type of Faunus: N/A

Pronunciation: Row-me

Nicknames: N/A

Romantic Partner: N/A

Theme Song: Gives You Hell by All American Rejects

Romelle Soliel-

Aura Color: Brown

Team: JARR

Semblance: Ticking sound in her head grows louder as she gets closer to a big event

Weapon: Buzz saw pocket watch

Appearance: 4’9”, Heterochromatic eyes blue and pink, hair is half pink and brown

Type of Faunus: N/A

Pronunciation: Row-mel

Nicknames: N/A

Romantic Partner: N/A

Theme Song: Say You Won’t Let Go by James Arthur

Ilesha Ajax

Aura Color: Bright yellow

Team: IMCA

Semblance: Can absorb and store electricity

Weapon: Schmazer aka Shank, Maise, Taser

Appearance: 5’11’’, brown eyes, changing hair color from yellow to brown, hair that curls at about ears

Type of Faunus: N/A

Pronunciation: Ee-lee-shaw

Nicknames: Il, Illy, Lesha

Romantic Partner: The really pretty and kind Lavey and Crystal Belladonna-Schnees!! 

Theme Song: My Name Is… by Once Monsters

Mavros Verin-

Aura Color: Orange

Team: IMCA

Semblance: Can cause a person auditory hallucinations

Weapon: Three blade circular blade

Appearance: 6’7”, black hair viking style with braids, hellfire orange eyes 

Type of Faunus: Ram horns

Pronunciation: Mav-rows

Nicknames: Mav

Romantic Partner: N/A

Theme Song: monster by caleb hyles jonathan young

Rosemary Adel-

Aura Color: Rose pink

Team: RSCC

Semblance: Deactivates Dust in a certain area

Weapon: Hidden sleeve knives in Dust-infused jacket

Appearance: 5’6”, light brown almost orange hair, brown eyes

Type of Faunus: Fox tail 

Pronunciation: Rose-Mary (simple duh)

Nicknames: Rose

Romantic Partner: N/A

Theme Song: Standing Outside the Fire by The Country Gentlemen

Saffron Adel-

Aura Color: Bright red

Team: RSCC

Semblance: Dust polarity

Weapon: Shoes and gloves that shoot Dust (and a secret belt, but shhhh)

Appearance: 5’11” , brown hair, brown eyes

Type of Faunus: Red panda tail

Pronunciation: Saf-fron (again simple)

Nicknames: Saff, Saffy

Romantic Partner: N/A

Theme Song: Gladiator by Zayde Wolf

Meriah!!!-

Aura Color: Bright blue

Team: N/A

Semblance: I don’t know actually… 

Weapon: N/A She doesn’t need one she’s too young!

Appearance: Oh my gosh! She’s so cute!!! Oh, she looks like a little baby! She is the baby!!! So baby cutie patootiiiiiii!

Type of Faunus: German shepherd, ears

Pronunciation: Mer-i-ah

Nicknames: Mer, Merrie

Romantic Partner: N/A

Theme Song: Danny’s Song by Loggins & Messina

Clover Nikos 

Aura Color: Red

Team: RSCC

Semblance: Mitigates his worst weakness

Weapon: Yo-yo that becomes a spiked flail than flail to flat round viking sheild

Appearance: 7’0’’, blonde ponytail, green eyes, freckles, Sun level muscles

Type of Faunus: N/A

Pronunciation: Clove-er

Nicknames: Clove

Romantic Partner: N/A

Theme Song:

Colby Adel-  
Aura Color: Lime green

Team: RSCC

Semblance: Can move his Aura including he can move it off of himself

Weapon: Bow, satchell that makes Dust arrows

Appearance: 5’, brown eyes, bright red hair

Type of Faunus: eurasian red squirrel, ears

Pronunciation: Coal-by

Nicknames: Col, By

Romantic Partner: N/A

Theme Song: King of Anything by Sara Bareilles


	2. The Van

“Oh no. It’s back,” Akio said, shaking his head.

“It’s not that bad,” Jin said, rolling her eyes.

“It’s so ugly though,” Aella said.

“Don’t say that,” Jin snapped, smacking her arm. “You know who painted it!”

“But  _ look _ at it!” Aella whined.

“If you insult this van one more time, you’re dead to me,” Lavey said, glaring at her.

Aella laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Right, uh… it’s… pretty?”

Just then, the door slammed open, revealing a grinning Yang.

“Get in the van!” she cried excitedly.

Lavey laughed and jumped into the second row of seats, Adolpha climbing in behind her.

The others piled in after their sisters.

Team RWBY jumped onto the van, all of them looking back in excitement at their children. They were clearly happy that they had their children back, and not just in class.

“Where’s-”

“At home,” Blake said immediately, “we’ll be there soon.”

“Yeah we will,” Yang said with a smirk, stepping on the gas and hurrying out of the parking lot.

_ / _

_ “Hey! Slow down!” Adolpha cried, reaching out and stabilizing Aella, who was cheering as they raced around a turn. _

_ “Can you turn the music down?!” Akio yelled from the far back, covering his ears. _

_ Jin was trying to calm Adolpha down as she tumbled in her seat, struggling to make sure that her siblings didn’t go flying. Neither succeeded. _

_ Lavey let out a whoop as they sped through another turn, almost toppling over the van. _

_ “You’re going to  _ **_kill us_ ** _!” Adolpha shouted. _

_ “Oh come on, live a little, Dolph!” Lavey called. _

_ “Why is your seatbelt unbuckled?!” Adolpha cried, scrambling to the side and trying to fix it. _

_ “Cause I’m living  _ **_life_ ** _ , Adolpha! You should really give it a try!” Lavey replied. _

_ Adolpha growled at her and finally shoved the seatbelt over Lavey, who just rolled her eyes and leaned back, clearly a bit put out. _

_ Auburn groaned and leaned against Akio. _

_ “I think I’m going to throw up,” he mumbled. _

_ “Don’t do it on me, Crystal’s right over there,” Akio said, shoving his brother. “Seriously, can we turn the music down?!” _

_ “WHAT?!” Crystal shrieked. _

_ Yang turned the music up. _

_ “Sorry, can’t hear you, Kio!” she called, snickering. _

_ Blake rolled her eyes and turned the music down, making Yang gape at her in betrayal. _

_ “Pay attention to the road!” Blake snapped. _

_ “Auburn,” Weiss said sufferingly, “there’s puke bags in the back, don’t throw up on your sister.” _

_ Suddenly, Yang slammed on the breaks. _

_ Ruby groaned as she was slammed against her seatbelt, putting one hand on her stomach gently. _

_ She smacked her sister’s arm. _

_ In the back, Adolpha was still clutching the top of the van and watching with wide eyes. _

_ Lavey rolled her eyes. _

_ “What’s going on?” Lavey asked, sitting up and looking out the window. _

_ “Someone’s stopped in the middle of the road,” Crystal said, rolling her eyes. _

_ Yang pulled the van around the road, driving on the shoulder. _

_ She rolled down Lavey’s window. _

_ Lavey leaned over Adolpha and started to shout out. _

_ “WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM!?” Lavey shouted. _

_ The man, who was trying to fix his busted tire, jumped and glared at Lavey. _

_ “I-” _

_ “Do you want to be behind the van or under it, because I’m five seconds away from jumping into the front seat and running you over, so move it or lose it!” _

_ He stared at Lavey with a bit of fear. _

_ “Yeah, you better listen to what she says,” Yang said sagely, “I don’t even control that one.” _

_ The man scurried away from the van, and Yang rolled up the window. _

_ “That was  _ **_so rude_ ** _!” Adolpha snapped, glaring at her sister. “You could have-” _

_ “I don’t want a lecture, Dolph,” Lavey said, rolling her eyes. _

_ Adolpha crossed her arms sullenly and stared out the window. _

_ / _

Adolpha let out a laugh, leaning back in her seat as Yang whipped around another turn.

Weiss looked back at her, eyes wide.

Lavey glanced over, smirking as her sister relaxed, leaning back and putting her hands behind her head, sighing.

“Uh…,” Ruby glanced back at her and then locked eyes with Weiss, both clearly wondering what was going on.

“Can we have some music, please? It’s way too quiet back here,” Akio said.

The van swerved as Yang looked into the rearview mirror at Akio, eyes wide.

“You… want to listen to music?” Yang asked.

“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?” Akio replied, shrugging.

“You  **hate** music!” Ruby cried.

“That’s not true,” Akio snapped.

Blake decided to stop her wives and son before they got into a real argument, leaning forward and turning on the radio.

“I'm on the highway to hell.”

Akio smirked at the song, starting to sing along. Yang whipped her head around, and Blake lunged over, grabbing the steering wheel before they could crash.

“On the highway to hell, highway to hell! I'm on the highway to hell!”

“Mom, why’re we going so slow?” Adolpha called.

This time, Weiss and Ruby both gaped, turning around to stare at her.

“She’s going  _ twenty miles per hour _ over the speed limit, Adolpha!” Jin shouted.

The van swerved.

Blake had let go of the steering wheel in her shock, causing Yang to jump and hurry to grab it again before they hit the car in the other lane.

From beside her, Coco flipped her off, speeding her car up so she wasn’t beside Yang. She should have known  _ that _ wasn’t safe in the slightest.

“No stop signs, speed limit!”

“So what?” Adolpha asked, shrugging. “She usually goes thirty over.”

“Nobody's gonna slow me down.”

“Adolpha, shut up! You’re going to get us killed!” Jin yelled.

“Like a wheel, gonna spin it!”

Blake shut the radio off, causing Akio to frown. Finally, he sighed and reached into his pocket, grabbing his scroll and putting in headphones. He started to tap his foot to the beat.

Yang slammed on the breaks, and Jin cursed.

Weiss’ eyes widened in disbelief, and Ruby started to cough uncontrollably.

Adolpha scowled a bit, glancing at Lavey, who smirked back at her.

Adolpha glanced out of the window, finding that someone had stopped in the middle of the road.

Yang pulled out next to the woman, rolling down the window closest to Lavey.

Lavey hesitated before she glanced at Adolpha, gesturing toward the car that was broken down.

Adolpha grinned, looking almost giddy.

“Hey! Asshole!” Adolpha shouted.

Yang would have swerved  _ further _ off of the road if her foot hadn’t been on the break.

“Get out of the damn road! This isn’t some gas station! Get your piece of junk out of the road, and then move your car!”

The woman stumbled backward, and Lavey laughed, bumping against Adolpha’s shoulder as she rolled the window up.

“Are we going to go or what?” Lavey called to the four in the front.

Yang jumped.

“Right… right.”

She stepped on the gas and they roared down the street.

“Mom! Slow down!” Jin cried, stabilizing herself.

Aella started to laugh and cheer, which caused Jin to reach over and smack her in the back of the head.

Aella laughed awkwardly, rubbing at the back of her head.

“Right, sorry, Jin,” Aella said.

Blake whipped her head around so fast that she thought, for just a moment, she had gotten whiplash.

Yang pulled into the neighborhood, glancing over at her sister and her wives for a moment, her eyes wide.

They could all tell they were thinking one thing.

What had happened to their children while they were at Beacon?!


	3. Car Rides

Ilesha all but skipped into the car, jumping into the passenger’s seat. Whenever they had big events or she got home after a long trip, they let her have the passenger’s seat! She liked it when her mothers did that.

“So… how was school?” Syntheia asked. She was in the driver’s seat, like usual. She or Stacey were usually the drivers, but her other mothers were not, under any circumstance, allowed to drive their children  _ anywhere _ .

“It was  **great** !” Ilesha cried excitedly.

“How so?” Stacey questioned cautiously. Ilesha didn’t notice.

“Well, I got my own team, and I got to be  _ team leader _ ! And then we all learned to dance together! They were  _ sooo _ much fun! And then Crystal and Lavey started to act all weird, and I didn’t know what was going on there. Like, they were being all awkward and they didn’t talk to me, but that was like normal, but they were also around me all the time, and that was definitely new! They were all blushing and red and then they were trying to talk to me and they were  **adorable** ! For a little while, I thought they might like me, but then I thought that was silly, because of course they didn’t like me before, so it’d be really weird for them to like me then, but apparently they did, because they kissed me! Did you guys see that?! They both kissed me! On live television! Oh, I didn’t know what they were trying to do! Crystal just leaned up and then grabbed me and I was so confused-”

Zohra snorted.

“Of course you didn’t notice they were flirting with you all year,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, like you’d do much better,” Ilesha said defensively, crossing her arms against her chest.

“Oh, I assure you, I  _ would _ .”

Ilesha rolled her eyes before she launched back into her story, Zohra rolling her eyes sufferingly.

“But seriously, you had those two girls  _ drooling _ over you, and you didn’t do anything about it?” Zohra asked.

“Well I did something as soon as I realized what was happening. Oh! I also got this shield!” Ilesha waved it around in the air excitedly, Syntheia ducking down and growling as it almost hit her.

Stacey grabbed Ilesha’s wrist and successfully stopped her before she could hit anyone.

Ilesha grumbled and put her weapon down with a pout.

Zohra rolled her eyes sufferingly, glancing back at her brother, who was just quietly laughing at the whole display.

She rolled her eyes again.

-

Ciel smiled to herself as a newly familiar voice filled her head.

She reached her hand out and set it on Neo’s leg as she drove, watching worriedly as Yang sped past.

_ So, how was the first semester? _ Ciel thought.

_ Great! _ Romy thought.

_ It was fine, _ Romelle sent. She was seated in the back, her arms crossed as she glanced over at her sister before staring out of the window.

_ Someone’s been pissy all semester, _ Romy thought.  _ Can’t figure out why. _

_ Maybe it’s because you’re an asshole, _ Romelle snapped.

_ Kids, kids, if you’re going to insult each other, then do it better, because that was just poorly executed, _ Neo thought.

Ciel wanted to tell her wife to  **not** tell the children stuff like that, but she was distracted by getting to hear Neo’s real voice in her head. Ever since their oldest child had demonstrated their semblance, Ciel had had the chance to hear Neo speak, albeit in her head, but it was  **far** better than nothing.

The first time it had happened, both of them had cried, and the twins had awkwardly stood there, Romelle patting Ciel on the shoulder as if she had no other idea what she could do.

It had been a long time since she had been able to hear Neo now, considering their daughters had been busy, but Ciel was happy to have the chance now.

Ciel suddenly remembered what her wife had said.

_ Kids, don’t insult each other, and don’t call each other those words either, _ Ciel chided.

_ Hey! I’m not the asshole here, you’re the one that’s been all bitchy to me this semester! _ Romy snapped.

Romelle scoffed, showing her sister her middle finger in the back where Ciel couldn’t see.

_ Why are you so mad at me?! _ Romy cried.

Romelle whipped her head around and the thoughts were formed-

But she cut herself off.

She had had to learn how to cut her thoughts off quickly from a young age.

Romy growled at Romelle, glaring darkly.

_ What?! What is it?! Just say it, you coward! _

Romelle slammed her hand against the seat, causing her sister to jump at the sudden sound. The car had been entirely silent, the conversation being carried out in their heads.

“Get out!” Romelle snapped. “Just… just get out of my head! I’m sick of it!”

“W-what?!” Romy cried, staring at Romelle like she had grown a second head.

The ticking in Romelle’s mind was deafening.

“I said get out of my head! Just leave me alone for once in your damn life!”

Ciel was having trouble paying attention to the road, so she carefully pulled over, not wanting to cause a wreck.

“What’d I do-”

Romelle’s glare silenced her sister, and she turned away from her, staring out the window.

The ticking had reached its loudest point, and suddenly it grew silent.

Romelle, for once, didn’t care, and she barely noticed. She sniffed and waited for her mother to pull the car back onto the road.

Romy stared at Romelle with shock.

Romelle had… she’d  _ yelled _ at her! That didn’t happen! It had  **never** happened before!

What was going on?!


	4. Reunion

Cooper grinned in excitement as he threw himself forward, colliding with both of his mothers and holding them tightly.

“COOPY POO!” Penny cried, grabbing both him and Winter and squeezing them.

Cooper giggled and buried his face against them, letting out a sigh.

Sure, he had seen both of them quite frequently at school, but it hadn’t been the same. In Beacon, they were teachers, but now he could see them as his mothers, and that was  _ so much better _ !

“It’s so good to see you!” Penny cried.

“Dear, we saw him yesterday,” Winter said, though she was smiling slightly.

“But that was different!” Cooper whined.

Winter stared down at him for a moment before her smile widened.

“You’re right, it was different. It is… nice to have you back.”

Cooper giggled.

“Love you too, mom.”

Winter started to guide her small family toward the car, but Cooper suddenly stopped.

“Oh, wait! There’s something else!”

“What?” Penny asked, beaming at her son.

“This is Mavros,” Cooper gestured at his teammate, “can we keep him?”

There was a long moment of silence.

“I don’t think he’ll fit in the car.”

-

Saffron smirked as she saw her mothers come into view, and she crossed her arms as she walked up. She still had on her gloves and combat boots, both of which she had started to wear constantly, just as her sister never took off her jacket.

Coco parked the car and walked around it quickly, a grin on her face. Velvet almost accidentally hit her wife by opening her car door, clearly not expecting Coco to have hurried to their children so quickly.

Coco’s usual smirk was gone, and she looked almost giddy as she took in her children, reaching one hand up to tilt her sunglasses down so they could see her face.

“Get in the car,” she said.

Most children would have thought that their mother was mad if they heard her say that, but Saffron could tell how excited her mother was, and she clearly wanted to show it… just not where everyone could see her lose her cool demeanor.

Saffron tossed their stuff into the trunk and took her seat with a smirk, leaning back and crossing her legs in front of her leisurely.

Rosemary followed after her, and finally Colby, though Saffron didn’t look at him.

Velvet had taken the driver’s seat, and Coco slid into the passenger’s.

When all of the doors were shut, Coco turned around, grinning again.

“When were you two going to tell me…,” she eyed them with a fake stern look, “how amazing your new weapons are?!”

“They’re not  _ that _ cool,” Colby muttered.

Coco glanced at him.

“Son, don’t be modest, they’re  **amazing** !” Coco said.

Saffron smirk broadened, and, behind her sunglasses, she glanced over at her older sister, the two sharing a smile.

“Didn’t think they were that big of a deal,” Saffron said, faking nonchalance as she looked down at her hand, inspecting her glove.

“Are you kidding?!” Coco hissed. “Let me see one of those!”

Saffron hesitated for a moment, considering, before she took off her left glove, handing it to her mother, who began to inspect it with a grin.

“Oh, this is  _ very _ well made! I can see why you won the tournament! If yours is  _ anything _ like this, Rose, then  **nobody** stood a chance from the beginning.”

Saffron ducked her head a bit as she smiled. Rosemary bumped her sister with her shoulder subtly.

“When you fought Adolpha… oh,  _ that’s _ a story that I’m going to tell for  **years** !” Coco said smugly. “Oh, the look on Yang’s face when she hears this… oh, it’s going to be great. I’m so proud!”

Coco reached back and gave Saffron her glove back, and she put it on quickly.

“The doubles fight was  **incredible** ! Rose, when we get home, you’re going to have to show me that jacket of yours. And Saffron, do you switch the Dust you’re using with your Semblance? That is  _ very _ resourceful!”

“I do, actually, and it took a while to learn which one was which without looking, but… I can distinguish them from a few dozen yards now,” Saffron said, trying to sound nonchalant despite how excited she was.

“Yes, you told us that. Multiple times,” Colby said, rolling his eyes.

Saffron glared at him, and her sunglasses did nothing to detract from how aggressive it was.

“You can?!” Coco cried. “Velvs, how long has she been working on that?”

Velvet smiled fondly, glancing behind her in the rearview mirror to see her daughters.

“A few now. You finally did it?” she asked, her voice an odd mixture of gentle and excited.

“Yup. Not that big a deal,” Saffron said.

It was a big deal, and she hadn’t stopped being excited about it since it had happened.

“How did you use your Semblance with Rosemary so close? And how did Rosemary use Dust?!” Coco cried.

“Well, Rosemary just has impeccable timing for her weapons,” Saffron said, sending a smirk toward her sister, “and it turns out that I don’t have to use Aura to activate Dust, which means that her Semblance doesn’t do anything to me.”

Coco’s eyes widened in shock.

“You can?!”

Saffron nodded.

Velvet glanced back at them.

“Because Rose can stop Aura from activating Dust… that’s very smart, Saff. How do you do that without using your Aura?” Velvet asked, her voice highly intrigued.

“Well, it turns out that Dust is just turned on by polarizing it, which can be done with the energy found in Aura, but since my Semblance is Dust polarity,” Saffron smirked and glanced up at her mother slyly, “that means I can change the polarity to activate the Dust.”

Velvet grinned and glanced in the mirror again.

“That’s… incredible, Saffron!” Velvet said, beaming back at her.

Saffron ducked her head again as she smiled, her face turning a light shade of red.

Colby rolled his eyes.

“She doesn’t shut up about it.”

Velvet didn’t let that deter her.

“And she shouldn’t! That’s amazing!” Velvet said.

Coco nodded quickly, still grinning in excitement.

“And the way you used Hard-Light Dust… it’s incredible,” Velvet continued. “How long did you take to figure that out?”

Saffron shrugged.

“Not too lon-”

“Ten weeks,” Colby said, cutting Saffron off.

Saffron glared.

“Well it was certainly worth it!” Coco said immediately. “You seriously kicked some Dust with that stuff!”

“It was incredible. You’ve certainly gotten a lot better, you two. I knew you had it in you,” Velvet said gently.

“Of course,” Coco waved her hand dismissively, “they’re our daughters, of course they’re amazing!”

Colby huffed and crossed his arms, looking away.

Saffron didn’t notice, hiding her smile from her mothers and giving her sister a small, excited thumbs up.

-

Sun burst out of the car with a grin, his tail wagging behind him as he leapt over to his son, grabbing him in a tight hug.

“Hey, don’t hog our son,” Ilia said with an eye roll, arms crossed, but she was smirking.

Clover grinned down at his mother, leaning down and giving Ilia a tight hug.

Pyrrha hurried out of the car, locking it behind her, and jogged over to join the other three, throwing her arms around them excitedly.

Sun tugged Clover down and messed with his hair, causing his son to laugh and playfully try to escape.

“Alright, alright, hurry it up,” Raelynn said, smirking at her older brother, leaning against the car.

He grinned and raced forward, throwing his arms around his sister.

“Rae! I missed you!”

-

Meriah yawned and stretched, eyes fluttering open slowly as she tried to get her brain jump started.

She suddenly remembered what today was, and she grinned in excitement, throwing herself out of bed and racing down the stairs at full speed.

Today was the day!

The first semester at Beacon had ended, which meant that Meriah was going to get to see them again!

Her parents had left earlier to pick them up from school, and they must have left her behind because she had fallen asleep.

Meriah didn’t take naps often, but she had been so excited the night before to see them that she had had trouble sleeping, which was why she had all but toppled over from exhaustion earlier.

She skidded to a stop when she reached the front door, jumping up and down on the tips of her toes just a bit.

It had been  **months** since she had gotten to see them for more than a few minutes, and even though she had talked to them over scroll a lot, it hadn’t been the same, and she was missing them  _ so much _ ! Oh, she couldn’t believe she had missed the chance to see them at pickup!

She groaned in frustration, kicking at the ground with a small pout on her face.

She was about ten years younger than them, which made communication difficult sometimes, but they always put in the effort, and she would never say no to hanging out with them! The only bad thing was that they were going to school, and she was still stuck at home with their parents!

Meriah was only seven years old, which explained why she was just four feet tall, and had hair that hung a little ways down her back. Said hair was brown, and it matched perfectly with the German Shepherd ears that sat on top of her head. One was pointed up straight, looking as if it was listening intently to everything around her, and the other was flopped over, hanging down in front of her face just a bit. Her eyes were a bright shade of ocean blue, and they were alight with excitement as she heard footsteps outside, which told her that her family was back! Oh, she was finally going to get to see them again! It was going to be  _ so great _ !

If, instead of ears, she had had a tail, then it would have been wagging. She sometimes wondered what it would be like to have a tail like Saffron. She thought that Saffron was just  _ the coolest _ , and her tail was  **so cute** !

The door started to open, and Meriah grinned in excitement, darting forward to greet her family.


	5. Meriah

Meriah grinned in excitement as the door opened, and she raced forward, throwing her arms around the first sibling she could find.

Adolpha laughed and grabbed her sister, hefting her into the air and holding her up for a moment.

“Dolphie!” Meriah cried, holding her tighter.

“Hey, Merrie! Oh, I missed you!” Adolpha said, leaning down and giving her a kiss on the head.

“Hey, stop hogging the kid, Dolph.”

“Lav!” Meriah called, wiggling out of Adolpha’s arms and throwing herself against Lavey, who grinned and stuck her tongue out at Adolpha.

Adolpha rolled her eyes, but there was still a small smile on her face.

Aella used her semblance to fly over Jin, landing in front of Lavey and snatching their youngest sister out of her arms.

“Hey, Merrie! How’s my  _ favorite _ sister doing?” Aella asked, tossing her into the air and using her semblance to give her a bit more of a boost.

Meriah giggled as she was caught again, squeezing her sister tightly.

“Little gremlin,” Jin growled, reaching down and grabbing her sister out of Aella’s grasp, holding her tightly and grinning down at Meriah.

“Have much fun without us?” Jin asked, reaching one hand up to ruffle Meriah’s hair.

Meriah giggled and squirmed.

“No! None at all!”

“That’s rather insulting,” Weiss said from the door, rolling her eyes.

“Gimme!” Auburn cried, vaulting over a weapon that had been dropping and holding out his arms.

Jin sighed and rolled her eyes before she passed over Meriah, who  _ beamed _ at her older brother, setting her head on his shoulder.

“ **You** haven’t changed a bit, have you?” she asked.

Auburn laughed uncomfortably.

“Uh, nope, guess not!”

Meriah was about to continue, but Crystal grabbed her around the waist and yanked her out of his grasp, setting her head on top of Meriah’s.

“Oh, it’s so good to see you!” she cried, pressing a kiss on top of her younger sister’s head.

Meriah sighed in content, letting her eyes fall shut-

Only for another form to grab her.

She was shocked as she was tugged into Akio’s arms, her brother wrapping himself around her with a wide grin.

“Hey, kiddo,” Akio said gently, taking out his headphones and setting his chin on her head.

She didn’t remember him being this affectionate before, but she liked the change!

She wrapped her arms around him and leaned closer, letting out a sigh of relief.

It was good to have the Belladonna-Schnee family whole again.


	6. Not Our Children

Weiss yawned as she walked out of the bedroom. For once, she was the first one awake, and she was making her way to the kitchen to start some coffee.

She was stopped in her tracks when she saw someone already there, doing the same.

Jin pulled her mug away, taking a sip.

“Jin, can I try some?” Meriah asked excitedly.

Jin looked down at her younger sister, raising an eyebrow. Jin was famous for being a pushover for Meriah, though to be fair, all her siblings were, but Jin especially.

“No.”

“Please?” Meriah asked, using her best puppy eyes.

“Nope.”

“Come on, just a  _ little _ ? You and Cy love it!”

“Then ask Crystal for some,” Jin said, taking a sip of her coffee again.

“Aw, but Crystal’s mean,” Meriah cried, acting as if she hadn’t just been in the living room laying on her sister’s lap five minutes earlier.

“Tough crap.”

Weiss gaped in absolute shock, stopping by the doorway.

She’d  **never** heard Jin say no to Meriah, and she had  **never** seen Jin drinking coffee! Blake had, somehow, when Jin was young and impressionable, gotten her hooked on tea instead (Weiss had never fully forgiven her for that), but now…

Weiss took a few slow steps forward, trying to make sure that her daughter was really drinking coffee.

She almost made a sound of shock when she saw that it was not only coffee, but also  _ black _ coffee.

Her daughter, sweet, innocent Jin… was drinking black coffee and saying no to Meriah at the same time.

Was… was this the same person that she had sent off to Beacon?!

Meriah pouted and walked out of the room, likely wanting to find Crystal and ask her the same question.

“So… when did you start drinking coffee?” Weiss asked, trying to be subtle as she started her own cup.

“Since I became team leader of team JARR,” Jin said. She shuddered. “Those gremlins… they change you.”

Weiss nodded slowly, trying to remember the last time she had heard her daughter insult someone, even if just by calling them a gremlin.

Aella dashed into the room, racing through, but she froze as soon as she spotted Jin, her eyes going wide.

Jin raised an eyebrow, sipping her coffee, and glanced at the door.

Aella shook her head vigorously.

Jin shifted and set her coffee on the counter, and Aella took a step backward.

Jin vaguely gestured at the door Aella had come in through, and Aella sighed, nodded, and walked back out.

Weiss watched the interaction with wide eyes, almost dropping her coffee mug as she stared at her children.

Jin grabbed her coffee again and took a large gulp, as if she was unafraid of getting burned by the coffee (which still had steam coming off of it), and then set the empty cup in the sink before she walked out of the room, giving Weiss a small smile as she went.

Weiss slowly started to walk out of the room, only to almost get hit by Crystal, who was all but skipping into the room with a wide smile on her face.

Crystal had her scroll in one hand, and she barely seemed to notice as she almost ran her mother over.

Weiss hesitated before she decided to stay and investigate what was happening with the eldest triplet.

Crystal started her cup of coffee and then glanced down at her scroll, blushing and grinning like a fool as she sent a message, though Weiss wasn’t sure who to.

Logic said it had to be Ilesha, because Weiss had never seen Crystal this happy to socialize with  _ anyone _ .

Weiss heard her daughter humming slightly, bouncing back and forth a bit.

Meriah came skidding into the room, panting as she reached Crystal.

“Hey, Cy, can I try some of your coffee?” she asked sweetly.

Crystal hesitated, glancing down at her cup.

“One second, Merrie,” she said, setting her coffee down and reaching over to grab more sweetener. “Don’t want your first taste of coffee to be bitter.”

Crystal gave her younger sister a small, conspiratorial wink before she leaned down and passed her the cup.

Meriah excitedly took a sip before she made a face of disgust, passing it back to Crystal.

“Thanks, Cy!” Meriah said before she hurried out of the room, likely trying to track down one of her other siblings and catch up with them after everything that had happened.

Crystal laughed and turned back to her scroll, taking another sip of her coffee as she sent a message.

She started to hum again, and Weiss recognized the tune, placing it as All of Me.

Crystal was definitely messaging Ilesha then.

Akio walked into the room, yawning. His head started to bob to the tune that Crystal was humming, causing Weiss to stare at him in absolute disbelief. She had  **never** seen Akio do a headbob like that, and she hadn’t thought she’d live to see the day he would.

Akio reached out, starting to make his tea. As he got the mug, he twirled a bit to the tune, and Crystal didn’t so much as look up from her scroll as he did so.

He grabbed another ingredient and spun back to his mug, dropping the tea bag in while he sang the words quietly under his breath.

He looked up and saw that Weiss was gaping at him, but it didn’t stop him from continuing his song, tapping his foot as he waited for the tea to finish.

Weiss hurried out of the room, not sure if she could take watching the pair any longer.

What was going on?!

What had happened to her children?! Had they brought home the wrong ones?!

She had a thought, a light in the darkness, and let out a sigh of relief.

Adolpha.

She would ask Adolpha.

Adolpha had a good head on her shoulders, and she  _ always _ knew what was going on with her siblings, which meant that she was the best bet that Weiss had to figure out what was going on.

Weiss walked into the living room, finding Adolpha sitting on the couch.

Or, well, sitting wasn’t the best way to describe it. It was more like… she was  _ lounging _ on the couch, but that didn’t make any sense. Adolpha didn’t lounge.

But there she was, their oldest daughter, laying across the entirety of the couch with one leg over the side and the other on the top of the cushions, her arms hanging lazily at her sides as she stared up at the ceiling.

“Adolpha?” Weiss called out, sounding slightly worried.

“Hey, mom,” Adolpha said, turning her gaze away from the ceiling to glance at Weiss. “What’s up?”

Weiss hesitated, staring at her oldest child with a look of disbelief.

“I was…,” Weiss trailed off as she saw Lavey walk in.

Lavey. Maybe if something was wrong with Adolpha, Lavey would be the one to talk to. That girl  _ always _ had little schemes going on,  _ always _ knew what was going on, and-

Lavey stopped by the couch that Adolpha was laying on and raised an eyebrow as she stared down at her sister.

“Move.”

Adolpha immediately shifted closer to the side of the couch, though she was still laying down, and Lavey plopped down next to her, sprawling out… although, to be fair, she took up  _ far _ less room than her sister did.

Lavey fumbled for something in her pocket before she held it out.

It was a ziploc bag that was filled with chocolate chip cookies.

Adolpha glanced at it, and Lavey rolled her eyes, opening it and tossing the bag at Adolpha while leaning back further where she lay, clearly trying to appear nonchalant about the entire thing.

Adolpha smiled gently as she took the bag, grabbing the first one and all but stuffing it into her mouth.

Lavey rolled her eyes, but there was a small smile on her face.

Adolpha stopped and then hesitantly held out a cookie toward Lavey, who raised an eyebrow.

She was clearly about to say something sarcastic and mean. After all, Weiss had watched her grow up, and she was pretty sure that she knew enough about Lavey to know when she was going to be rude. She’d probably say something like “offering me the cookies I just got you? Why would I want one if I just pawned them off on you?”

Instead, Lavey gave her a small smirk and took the cookie, letting it fall into her mouth while Adolpha went back to devouring her food.

Weiss froze as she watched Adolpha move closer to Lavey, setting her hand on her sister’s shoulder.

Lavey didn’t pull away, and, instead, set her head on Adolpha’s chest while she pulled out her scroll, staring at a message and smiling to herself before sending one back. From the look on her face, it  _ had _ to be Ilesha that she was messaging.

Weiss didn’t know what to say. Dust, she didn’t even know what to  **think** at the moment!

Before she had the chance to collect herself some more, there were loud footsteps that sounded, and Jin raced into the room, looking around.

“AELLA!” she roared at top volume, causing Weiss to jump and almost drop her mug  _ again _ . “Get your ass out of the vents!”

This time, Weiss  **did** drop her mug.

There was a bit of scurrying that sounded from the vents, and a head popped out of the nearest door.

“What’s up, Jin?” Aella asked, though her voice was nervous as she crawled out to meet her older sister.

“What were you doing?” Jin asked, her arms crossed.

“Just, uh… just looking around!” Aella lied.

Weiss gaped. She had  _ never _ seen Aella stumble over a lie like that.

“Bullshit.”

Weiss had the passing thought to admonish Jin for cursing, but then her mind was distracted by the fact that it was  **_Jin_ ** who was cursing, and anything else she could have done was just wiped from her mind.

Jin cursing.

That sounded like a poorly written joke that would get Auburn booed off stage while Lavey threw something at him from the crowd.

“Okay, so maybe I was planning something-”

“There’s no ‘maybe’ to it.”

“Okay, fine, but how did you know?” Aella asked.

“We lived in each other’s heads for an entire semester, Aella. I can practically hear what you’re thinking right now.”

Aella stroked her chin in thought.

“Bananas!” Aella and Jin cried as one.

Aella gaped at her in shock, and Jin rolled her eyes.

“You’re not that difficult to predict, you know.”

Aella gasped in offense.

Jin glanced to the side, raising an eyebrow.

“Adolpha, get your feet off the couch.”

Adolpha hesitated, starting to do as told, but then she looked to a shocked Lavey.

Lavey didn’t seem as if she had expected her sister to look to her, but she immediately took the opportunity and shook her head.

“No way, Jin, you can come and make us.”

Jin squared her shoulders and took a step toward the two-

“But remember… I do have a certain electricity gremlin on speed dial.”

Jin hesitated before she glared down at her sister and turned on her heel before she stalked out of the room, Aella at her heels.

Lavey smirked and sprawled out further on the couch.

Adolpha glanced down at Lavey with a slightly awed grin before she did the same, letting out a content sigh before letting her eyes fall shut, relaxing further onto the couch beside her sister.

Weiss stared at her children in disbelief, though none of them were acting like anything was out of the norm.

_ Were _ these her children?! They certainly weren’t acting like it!

Since when did Crystal seem  _ giddy _ ?! And Akio was  **dancing** ?! Not to mention Jin cursing  **_and_ ** yelling at her siblings without any of them acting like it was out of the usual! And then Adolpha was looking at Lavey like she knew the secrets of the universe while they lay cuddling on the couch!

That… that didn’t happen! None of it did!

Weiss’ eyes suddenly widened and she came to a realization.

It  _ wasn’t _ happening.

This was too preposterous to be real life, which meant that it  **had** to be some sort of sick, twisted nightmare that her mind had come up with to torture her. This wasn’t real.

She walked out of the room, leaving the broken remains of her coffee mug on the ground. After all, it didn’t matter. This wasn’t real.

She walked, in a haze, back to her bedroom, opening the door and crawling under the covers without saying a word.

Yang had just woken up, and she was stretching dramatically, like she did every morning.

“Angel? What are you doing back? I thought you were getting your coffee,” Yang said, frowning.

“Nope.”

Yang frowned, reaching over to Ruby and shaking her awake.

“Deal with our wife, I’m getting breakfast started.”

“No!” Weiss cried, suddenly sitting up with wide eyes.

The clarity she had had earlier was slipping.

This was a  _ far _ more detailed dream than she usually had…

“Don’t go out of the room.”

Yang frowned in confusion.

“What? Why not?”

“We got the wrong kids.”

“We didn’t get the wrong kids,” Ruby grumbled, reaching over and wrapping her arm around Weiss’ waist to pull her closer. “There aren’t that many people in the world that are identical to all seven of our children.”

“So you’re saying that there  **are** some?!” Weiss cried.

Blake cracked one eye open, looking at her wife with disbelief.

“Definitely not. What’s wrong?”

Ruby seemed pleased that Blake was awake, considering she let her eyes fall shut again as she got comfortable between her two wives, likely intent on falling back asleep.

“Those aren’t our children! They’re… they’re  _ different _ !” Weiss cried.

“Angel, of  _ course _ they’re different, they just got back from a semester at Beacon. That’s where children grow and learn and become new people. Dust, that’s where we met, you remember what it’s like,” Blake said calmingly.

“Those. Are. Not. Our. Children.”

“Of course they are,” Ruby grumbled tiredly.

“What makes you say that?” Blake asked gently.

Weiss glared at Yang as she started to inch toward the door, and Yang held up her arms to show that she wasn’t going anywhere. Weiss just watched her with narrowed eyes.

“Crystal was  _ happy _ ,” Blake raised an eyebrow, “Akio was  **dancing** ,” Ruby opened one eye, “Jin was drinking  _ coffee _ ,” Yang glanced back at her, frowning just a bit, “Adolpha was… was  _ lounging around _ ,” Ruby had opened both eyes now, and she was watching Weiss with a slightly confused expression, “and then she and Lavey were being  **nice** to each other,” Blake sat up now, looking at Weiss as if she was trying to tell if her wife was lying or exaggerating what had happened, “then Jin was  **yelling** at them,” Yang was now seated on the edge of the bed, looking slightly horrified at the words, “and then Aella  **_listened_ ** to Jin!”

“Wait… Akio was dancing?” Ruby asked.

Weiss nodded quickly.

“Adolpha and Lavey were getting along?!” Blake hissed.

Weiss nodded again, eyes wide.

“Jin was yell-”

Yang was cut off by screaming from the other room.

“AELLA!” Jin bellowed. “Did you just break a coffee mug?!”

“No!” Aella cried quickly, sounding almost as if she was beginning her sister to believe her.

“BULLSHIT! Come in here and clean it up right now!” Jin yelled.

Outside the door, they could hear Aella’s quick footsteps as she raced toward where they had heard Jin yelling.

The four stared at each other with disbelief while Weiss fell back against the bed.

“Those aren’t our children.”

“Fuck!” Crystal yelled.

Weiss hesitated.

“Something happened to our children.”


	7. Checking

Adolpha looked up as she heard Blake walk into the room, glancing around. She found that she was the only one in the room.

Lavey had left a few minutes ago with a slightly goofy expression, saying something about her having a call with Ilesha. Crystal had left a few seconds later, and Adolpha assumed that they were both going to be on call with her at the same time. She wondered how that would go, considering they hadn’t even spoken about their new arrangement with Ilesha. They’d probably have to talk about that soon, but Adolpha, for once, didn’t have to mediate it! She could just relax while they had it out, because, apparently, she didn’t actually have to carry the weight of her family on her back.

Weird, huh?

“Hey, mom,” Adolpha said, giving Blake a smile as she walked up.

“Hey, Adolpha… listen, can I… talk to you for a few minutes?”

Adolpha moved on the couch so that there was room for Blake to sit down, but she didn’t stop laying down.

“Sure. What’s up?”

“Just wanted to talk to you about school, how things are going, that sort of thing.”

Adolpha glanced at her mother, frowning, but she shrugged.

“Alright… what do you want to know?”

“Just… how did things go?”

“They went  _ bad _ ,” Adolpha said, letting out a quiet laugh and shaking her head. “Like… horrible! I mean, the minute I locked eyes with Lavey, I knew things were going to be bad. But then  _ she _ was the team leader! So I have this whole power struggle with her, and she’s way better at it than me because she’s a better leader than I ever was-”

Blake started to cough in shock, bending over and wheezing. Had Adolpha just… had Adolpha just insulted her  _ own _ leadership abilities and then gone on to compliment Lavey?! What was happening?!

Adolpha sat up and patted her mother on her back, looking a bit worried.

“You alright?” Adolpha asked, leaning a bit closer and staring at her mother.

Blake waved her off.

“Fine. I’m fine. Just… continue with your story.”

“Right. So we have this whole power struggle, and then Lavey gets upset with me and says that I don’t know who I am if I’m not a leader, which was really hurtful, but only because it was true. So I had this little depressive episode and I took it out on Lavey some, and Jin, but… there was other stuff going on there. Anyways, I don’t listen to Lavey for the whole year, but I finally just give up when we get to the Vytal Tournament, and… it turns out that life is  _ way _ less stressful and  **way** more fun when I don’t have to give orders.”

Blake was gaping at her.

“But, Sweetie, I thought you  _ loved _ being a leader,” Blake said gently, scooting a bit closer.

“So did I!” Adolpha said, laughing a bit. “But it turns out that I just liked feeling needed and like I had a place. Also, I thought that it was my job as the oldest sibling, but that’s kind of stupid, considering we were all born on the same day… well, except Meriah, but you get my point.”

“So… you never liked being a leader?” Blake asked gently.

“Well… I definitely  _ thought _ I did for a long time. Just… it turns out that I’m happier like this.”

Blake stared at her daughter for a long moment before she forced her gaze away.

“That’s… that’s good. I’m glad you’re happy. I’ll just… leave you to it, then.”

Adolpha shifted a bit, raising an eyebrow at her mother.

“You know, you really don’t have to leave.”

Blake considered for a moment before a small smile grew across her face, and she settled back down on her seat, Adolpha letting her legs fall in her mother’s lap.

-

Ruby awkwardly sat down beside Akio, waiting for him to look at her. He didn’t, so Ruby leaned forward a bit to get a better look at him.

He was wearing headphones, which she had never seen him do before this break, and his head was bobbing to the music, his eyes closed.

Ruby tapped him on the shoulder-

Akio’s eyes flashed open, and he teleported away, causing Ruby to almost stumble and fall flat on her face where he had been sitting.

He appeared behind her, reaching out and grabbing her arm, ready to-

Akio froze, eyes going wide as he realized who his “attacker” had been.

“Mom?!” he cried in shock, dropping her hand and yanking his headphones out of his ears.

“Hey, Kio,” Ruby said, sounding a bit wary as she watched her son.

“Sorry about that, I’m just used to Mav… never mind,” Akio said, laughing a bit nervously and rubbing the back of his neck. “Did you need something or…”

“Right!” Ruby said excitedly. “I just wanted to talk. You know… about Beacon? See how things went, cause we tried to give you kids some room so you could work things out yourselves.”

Akio shrugged, taking a seat.

“What about it?” Akio asked.

“Just… everything!”

Akio considered for a moment before he sighed.

“Well, Cooper was my partner, we met in the forest, and then we found out that Mavros and Ilesha were our other teammates, which was kind of weird, especially when Ilesha was team leader. I mean, she’s, like, a little bit younger than us, and she’s always been kinda… off? Anyways, she started  _ singing _ at the team announcements. And… well, that’s pretty much how the whole year went. She just… wore me down. She was constantly playing music, constantly having dance practice, constantly making us do all of these crazy things… so I just went with it.”

“Wait… it wasn’t your siblings or your parents that made you decide to go with the crazy… but  _ Ilesha _ ?!” Ruby hissed.

“Of course! Have you  **met** the girl?! She’s insane!”

“She… is insane.”

Akio’s eyes narrowed.

“Hey, only we get to call her insane. She’s a great team leader! I mean… those dance practices  _ really _ helped Cooper with his coordination.”

Ruby just stared at her son in utter shock.

Akio’s eyes widened in shock.

“Oh my Dust,” he breathed, “she really just… she really just broke me until I had no shame,” he looked up at Ruby with fear. “I’m like  _ you guys _ now!”

Ruby grabbed him in a tight, excited hug.

“Yup!”

Akio was numb as he stared off into space.

-

“So uh… how was school?” Yang asked.

Lavey had just gotten off the phone with Ilesha, so now was a good time to ask, right? It meant that she was still on a high from talking to her girlfriend, which mean that-

The broad smile that had been on Lavey’s face fell instantly.

“What do you want?” Lavey demanded.

Yang considered for a moment before she sighed.

“What happened?!”

“What do you mean?” Lavey asked, frowning.

“You’re all acting… different! Like… Akio dances, Adolpha  _ listens to you _ , Jin  **yells** , which is, by the way, terrifying,” Lavey nodded in agreement, “and Crystal’s all happy lately-”

“Well, I can  _ definitely _ say why Crystal’s been happy,” Lavey smirked, “I mean, you saw it on live television. As for Akio… Ilesha is a  **very** persistent person, and she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Adolpha listens to me because she had a revelation this school year… and as for Jin? Honestly… I could  **not** tell you. I don’t know what’s going on there, don’t want to know. She seems happier, though, so I just decided to leave it alone.”

Yang nodded slowly.

“Plus, it’s horrifying when she yells at you.”

Yang laughed, but her eyes looked a little distant, as if she was honestly scared.

Lavey snickered and stood up, patting her mother on the back as she walked out of the room.

“Good luck, you’re gonna need it.”

-

Weiss sat down beside Aella slowly, glancing over at the little gremlin, who had her scroll out.

Weiss got a glance of who she was messaging before she spoke, and she wondered why Aella would be doing so with Jin if the other girl was just a few rooms away. She guessed it didn’t really matter, and it also meant that she could talk to Aella alone.

“If you’re here to ask about Jin,” Aella said, not putting her scroll down, “just know that she finally got her crap together.”

Weiss hesitated.

“What?”

“Jin finally decided to stop taking crap from everyone, so she’s being a badass leader. Finally, that is. Took us pushing her a lot, but she got there. Dust, that was a bad day. You shoulda seen her snap that time. I heard she yelled at Adolpha first, which is just…,” Aella laughed, shaking her head. “But the point is, Jin’s doing good. Great, actually! You don’t have to worry about her.”

Aella hopped to her feet and started to fly off.

“It… wasn’t her that I was really worried about.”


	8. Contemplations

Adolpha shifted in her sleep, her breathing ragged as she turned over in bed.

_/_

_Adolpha stopped as soon as she watched into the small clearing, her eyes widening in shock._

_In front of her, Lavey was fighting against a Grimm, Adolpha wasn’t worried about her killing it. In fact, she kinda felt back for the little guy, considering Lavey was the one that was going to kill them, and she was going to be merciless._

_Adolpha tried to take a step back out of the clearing, but she saw the shadow of Lavey turning around._

_Most things in this life aren’t certain, Adolpha of all people knew that very well, but this…_

_This was one hundred percent certain._

_“Fuck!” Adolpha cried._

_Just then, Lavey jumped at the word, and she turned to face her sister, their eyes meeting._

_/_

Adolpha shot awake, sitting up and panting deeply. The memory was still fresh in her mind, and she could recall exactly how the day had gone down.

Something itched in the back of her mind, and she suddenly turned over to look at where Lavey was sleeping.

She stumbled out of bed and hurried over to her younger sister, shaking her awake.

Lavey grumbled.

“Dolph?” she asked, her voice laden with sleep. “What are you doing? Why are you waking me up?”

“It’s my fault we’re partners.”

“I mean… obviously? You yelled out a curse word in a silent clearing, so of course I turned around. What did you _think_ was going to happen?” Lavey mumbled tiredly.

Adolpha blinked in shock, staring down at her sister before she plopped down on the edge of her bed.

“You alright, Dolph?” Lavey asked, shifting a bit so that she could squint into the darkness at her older sister.

“Yeah…”

“Are you contemplating the inevitability of time and our ultimate demise again?” Lavey asked.

“Yeah…”

Lavey sighed and shifted to the edge of her bed, holding open the blanket for her.

Adolpha climbed in beside her awkwardly, and Lavey let out a quiet laugh as she laid down beside her sister, closing her eyes and starting to fall asleep.

Before she had the chance, she dimly noticed that Adolpha was still laying still, clearly not asleep.

Lavey huffed and rolled over, tiredly putting her arm around her sister’s waist and putting her head on her chest.

Adolpha smiled down at her and seemed like she was about to speak, but Lavey grumbled first.

“Nobody finds out about this.”

Adolpha nodded.

-

Crystal rolled her eyes as she stared down at the bed.

She considered for a moment before she kicked the bed frame.

“Hey, idiots, wake up. Ilesha’s been messaging me all morning asking if you were okay, Lav, and I really don’t want our relationship to be talking about _you_ , so get your ass out of bed.”

Lavey jerked awake, and Adolpha grumbled at the interruption, both of her ears twitching as she sat up, rubbing at her eyes.

“I blame you for this,” Lavey grumbled as she got up.

Adolpha just yawned, ignoring whatever her sister had said.


	9. Conversations

Lavey looked up from her scroll when she saw that Yang and Ruby were walking into the room.

She glanced to the side at Crystal, who seemed frustrated by the interruption as well. They had both been messaging Ilesha at the same time, that was no secret, but they hadn’t been discussing that.

That was also not a surprise, considering they still hadn’t discussed their mutual girlfriend.

“What do you two want?” Lavey called, raising an eyebrow as she looked at her parents.

“Why do we have to want some-”

Ruby cut her sister off.

“We just wanted to say that we were really happy for you two and your girlfriend!” Ruby said excitedly.

“Yeah, that is what we wanted to talk about. How did you two figure out that you were comfortable with this arrangement?” Yang asked.

“Yeah, what was the conversation like?” Ruby questioned.

There was an awkward moment of silence as Crystal and Lavey glanced at each other. They shared a moment of worry before they turned back to their mothers.

“You… you did have a conversation, right?” Yang asked with a small, concerned look on her face.

A beat of silence.

“Did you talk at  **all** ?!” Ruby hissed.

“Uh… yes?” Lavey said, though it sounded  _ far _ more like a question than a statement.

“About Ilesha?” Yang questioned.

“No,” Crystal said quietly, her tail wrapping around herself self consciously.

“How are you not strangling each other?!” Ruby hissed. She gestured at her own sister. “When I found out that she liked Weiss too, it was so hard not to strangle her! How are you still acting like everything is fine?!”

“Yea-” Yang hesitated, glancing at her sister. “Wait, you  _ what _ ?!”

“Oh yeah, I wanted to cut your head off with Crescent Rose when I heard you going on and on about Blake too.”

“You  **did** ?!” Yang cried, eyes wide.

Ruby shrugged.

“I mean, of course! I was jealous, I made that very clear.”

“No you didn’t!”

“Well, not for a normal person, but it was very clear for me that I was jealous.”

Yang gaped at her sister.

“No you didn’t!”

“And you see,  **this** is why you need to have an honest, open conversation,” Ruby said, gesturing at Yang.

“I… uh, yeah, I mean… this is something that I  _ should _ have known, so we  **probably should have talked about it** , Rubes!” Yang hissed.

Ruby waved her hand dismissively.

“Yang, this isn’t about us, this is about our children.”

“But you’re… kind of making it about us, so I’m feeling like there might be some unresolved issues here that we need to talk about.”

Ruby turned to face Crystal and Lavey.

“ **This** sort of thing is why you need to have an honest and open conversation. I know I already said this, but… I mean, Yang is saying the exact same thing twice, so it’s fine.”

“Okay, Lav, Cy, your other mother and I are going to go have a talk about this and then-”

Ruby reached over and put her hand on Yang’s mouth.

“Yang, relax, I’m over it now, and I’m  _ really _ happy. I wouldn’t have agreed to raise eight children with you if I wasn’t, so calm down, get over your insecurities real quick, and let’s focus on our children, because they really need us to make sure their relationship, both with each other and Ilesha, doesn’t crash and burn before it starts, okay?”

Crystal and Lavey’s eyes widened and they glanced at each other fearfully.

Yang nodded, eyes still wide, and Ruby grinned at her, removing her hand from her mouth and turning to face Lavey and Crystal.

“R-right,” Yang’s voice sounded far more high pitched than her daughters were used to. “It’s… very important to talk about this sort of thing so that it doesn’t ruin  _ any _ relationships… romantic or not.”

“So, is there anything that you two want to get off of your chests?” Ruby asked.

Lavey opened her mouth to say that, no, there was  _ nothing _ that she wanted to get off of her chest because she was perfectly fine.

“I hate that she’s dating Ilesha.”

Lavey spun around in shock, falling off of the couch and landing on the ground.

“What?!” Lavey cried. She sounded just as high pitched as Yang did.

“AELLA WHAT DID YOU DO?!” Jin shouted from the other room.

“What?!” Aella squawked from the vents. “Nothing! It was Lavey and Crystal this time!”

Meriah raced into the room, Auburn at her heels.

“Is everyone alright?!” Meriah asked, almost falling over as she rounded the corner.

Auburn did fall.

Akio teleported into the room, looking around the room quickly to make sure that everyone was fine before he teleported back out.

Adolpha poked her head into the room, frowning worriedly.

“Lav? You alright in here?” she asked.

Lavey was still gaping up at her sister, and Adolpha glanced back at her mothers.

“Are you talking to them about it?” Adolpha asked.

Yang and Ruby both nodded.

“Okay… good luck, Lav!”

Adolpha disappeared from the room.

The others slowly left after her, and Lavey cleared her throat awkwardly, and she scrambled back onto the couch, trying to regain some of her dignity.

“Well… I’m sorry that you… dislike me dating Ilesha too, but she likes me, and I like her, and you seemed pretty okay with it when we kissed her at the tournament,” Lavey said.

“Did I? I mean, we didn’t even talk about it!” Crystal hissed.

“Wait, what? What  **did** you do before you kissed her?” Ruby asked.

“We shook hands and then played rock, paper, scissors,” Lavey said. Now that she spoke the words aloud, it… didn’t sound like as good an idea as it had been.

“What?!” Ruby shrieked.

“Why did you play that?” Yang asked.

“To see who got to kiss her first,” Lavey said, shrugging uncomfortably.

“ **That’s** how you decided that?!” Ruby asked, eyes wide.

“Well… it seemed rational at the time,” Lavey said.

“Did it?! Did it  **really** ?!” Crystal hissed.

“Hey! You went along with it! You could have said something!” Lavey snapped.

“You think I was going to say something  _ then _ ?! You  **know** how distracted I was! I mean… Ilesha had just shmazered someone!”

“I was that someone,” Jin muttered outside, kicking at the ground in frustration.

“Yeah, I was distracted too,” Lavey said defensively.

“Yeah, that  _ one _ time, but not the dozen other times I tried to bring up the fact that I had a crush on her!” Crystal snapped.

“W-well,” Lavey said slowly, “I was… nervous! I didn’t want to ruin anything between us! I mean, it took a little while for us to get close, and I didn’t want to mess that up!”

“Yeah, well, it’s a little bit messed up already!” Crystal hissed.

Lavey hesitated, crumpling just a little.

Crystal froze.

“Or, well, it’s not messed up, at least not yet, but it  _ really could be _ if you…”

“If I what?!” Lavey asked, eyes wide. Her gaze darted to Ruby and Yang, but the two both held up their hands as if to say they weren’t getting between Lavey and their angry Crystal.

“If you don’t stop avoiding this conversation, you little asshole!” Crystal snapped.

Lavey waited for her parents to chide Crystal for her cursing, but neither did so.

“Uh, well then, what… what do you want to talk about? What’s been upsetting you so much… other than me dating Ilesha?” Lavey asked.

Crystal reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, which she started to read from.

“You kissing her, the way you kiss her, you texting her while I do, us having to call her at the same time, you avoiding this conversation, you talking to her, her talking to you-”

Lavey held up her hands.

“Wait, wait, wait, I can’t just break up with her because you like her too and get a little jealous! We had a nonverbal agreement to be cool about this! I mean, for Dust’s sake, Momma Yang and Ruby have the same kind of setup, we’re not foreign to this concept in the slightest!” Lavey cried.

“Yeah, well, they had a  **verbal** agreement before they started to date them, and we just kind of shook hands and then fought over the first kiss like a couple of children. We started this  _ already fighting over her _ . Does that sound like a good beginning to a relationship to you?!”

Lavey hesitated.

“No… not really, now that I think about it,” she said slowly.

Crystal threw her hands up into the air with a frustrated expression on her face.

“Really?! You’re just now thinking about this?! Dust, Lav, do you  **never** think things through?! This is why you’re going to break her heart!”

There was a stunned silence that fell over the room, and Crystal’s eyes widened in shock, as if she hadn’t even expected herself to say that.

When Lavey was finally capable of speaking, her words came out in a soft whisper.

“What? You… you think I’m going to hurt her?”

“No, or, well, I… yes, but… only because you… you have a bit of a track record for this sort of thing.”

“Breaking hearts?!” Lavey cried.

“No!” Crystal snapped. “For manipulating people and hurting them in the long run just so that  **you** can be happy! So  _ excuse me _ if I’m worried that you’re going to hurt the woman I love!” Crystal cried.

Lavey and Crystal both froze again, and Crystal flushed a dark shade of red.

“I-I, well… I didn’t mean to…,” Crystal stopped for a long moment before she took a deep breath and then turned to face Lavey fully, “never mind, that’s… yes, I do love her, and I’m not going to sit by and watch you hurt her, even if you’re my sister.”

Lavey looked down at the couch, starting to mess with the cushions as she considered what to say next.

Ruby and Yang were watching the two with wide eyes, sitting straight at attention. Slowly, Ruby leaned over to whisper to her sister.

“This… isn’t how our conversation went.”

“Yeah… ours was a whole lot nicer,” Yang hissed.

“They’re mean. Did we raise mean children?” Ruby whispered.

“I’m… going to put the blame on Blake and Weiss for those two.”

Ruby nodded and leaned closer to her sister.

“Cy…,” Lavey took a deep breath before she turned to face her sister fully, already blushing. “Look, I know that I’m… known for manipulating people, but… I’m not going to hurt her! A-at least… I don’t want to! And I  _ certainly _ won’t do it on purpose! Because… because I love her too, alright? I know that I might hurt her, and I know that you might not like it because it’s awkward that we’re both dating her and we’re both in love with her already, but… as long as we’re going to make this work, you’re going to have to deal with i-”

Crystal reached out and smacked her hand over Lavey’s mouth.

“Enough. I’m done hearing you rant about it. Just answer these questions for me. Okay?”

Lavey nodded.

“Okay. Are you really in love with her, or are you trying to get out of this?”

Lavey made an indignant sound, her face looking outraged, and Crystal raised an eyebrow.

Lavey huffed and nodded.

“Wait… are you really in love with her? Sorry, I got confused by my own wording, that’s my bad.”

Lavey rolled her eyes and nodded vigorously.

“Are you going to hurt her?”

Lavey shook her head quickly.

“Okay. That’s it. That’s all I needed to know.”

Crystal pulled back a bit, and Lavey let out a sigh of relief, but Crystal suddenly lurched forward and slapped her hand over Lavey’s mouth again.

Lavey grunted in shock, almost toppling over.

“Right, sorry, almost forgot one more, it’s really important too.”

Lavey rolled her eyes.

“Are you okay with this whole situation?”

Lavey huffed and nodded, looking like she was about to ask a question, but then she looked down at Crystal’s hand in frustration.

Crystal nodded and pulled away.

“You feeling better? I mean about this whole… thing?” Lavey asked, sounding a little worried.

Crystal considered for a moment.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Good. You know, because you sounded kinda crazy back there and…”

Crystal glared at her, and Lavey held up her hands quickly.

“Right, right, sorry, we just got over this, shouldn’t bring it back up again!”

Crystal nodded, and then she glanced down at her scroll.

“Shit.”

“What?” Lavey asked.

“Ilesha is calling the cops, she thinks we’re dead because we didn’t respond to her messages for the past half hour.”

“Shit,” Lavey cursed.

Ruby and Yang gaped.

“Wait… you’re fighting over a woman that just called the cops because you didn’t respond to her texts?” Ruby cried.

“Yes!” they both cried as one, looking down at their scrolls and quickly starting to respond to their girlfriend’s texts.


	10. Catching Up

Coco looked out the window, a fond smile growing across her lips. She leaned forward and put her chin on her hand, staring outside and watching her daughter.

Saffron was practicing with her weapons, using the Hard-Light Dust and summoning new types of weapons that she hadn’t seen Saffron use before.

“What are you doing?”

Coco jumped, glancing over her shoulder to find her wife standing there, her arms crossed against her chest.

“Nothing,” Coco said quickly, fixing her sunglasses, which had fallen a bit down her face while she had been watching Saffron.

“Coco, don’t lie to your wife.”

Coco sighed and shook her head, glancing at her wife and trying to fight the smile that was spreading across her face. She failed.

“Watching Saffron.”

“She has gotten better, hasn’t she?” Velvet asked, taking a seat next to Coco and looking out the window as well.

“That’s an understatement, Hon. I mean… look at her!” Coco cried, gesturing outside at their daughter with an excited expression on her face.

“I can see her, dear.”

“Did you see her at the tournament?!” Coco hissed. “She took out Adolpha like it was  **nothing** ! Do you know how many times Adolpha beat her when they were younger?!”

Velvet glanced at her wife and raised an eyebrow.

“I do remember, because every time I had to patch up our daughter after she pushed herself a little bit too far.”

Coco grimaced. She recalled that too.

Saffron had… well, she was notorious for never knowing when to give up, and Coco thought that might be just a  _ tad bit _ her fault. Velvet thought it was  **completely** her fault.

_ / _

_ Saffron groaned and punched the wall. Afterwards, she winced, pulling her hand back into her lap and cradling it. _

_ Coco sat down beside Saffron, staring at her from behind her sunglasses. _

_ “You alright?” Coco asked. _

_ “No!” Saffron snapped, bringing her legs up so that they were set against her chest. _

_ “What’s wrong?” _

_ “I lost! Again! Colby beats me every time, mom!” Saffron cried. “How am I supposed to win against  _ **_anyone_ ** _ if I can’t even stand a chance against my own brother?” _

_ Coco didn’t respond, knowing that her daughter was going to continue. _

_ “Maybe I should just quit. I’m not good at it anyways. I’m  _ **_never_ ** _ going to be good at it! I mean, I  _ **_just_ ** _ unlocked my semblance this month, and some of them have had them unlocked for  _ **_years_ ** _! I still don’t even know how to use it!” Saffron cried. _

_ “Then quit.” _

_ Saffron glanced over at her mother, eyes wide. _

_ “If you don’t want to do this, then I’m not going to force you. I’ve never forced you to do anything, Velvet’s never forced you to do anything… but I want you to think about this. Since you were a little girl, you would go on for  _ **_hours_ ** _ about becoming a Huntress, about how excited you were. And I told you, countless times, that it would be difficult, but you said that you wanted to do this. If you’re going to quit now, that’s fine… but I want you to remember what made you want this, what made you fight in the first place. If you don’t care about it enough to put in the effort, that’s fine… but if this is because this is too difficult for you to keep trying… I have to say, I expected more from you.” _

_ Saffron hesitated, glancing at her mother before she looked back down at the ground. _

_ “It’s… it’s not that I don’t want to put in the work, it’s just… what if I just… don’t have what it takes?” Saffron asked nervously. _

_ “Saffron, you’re not just  _ **_my_ ** _ daughter, but you’re  _ **_Velvet’s_ ** _ daughter.” _

_ Saffron stared at her mother, clearly unamused, so Coco sighed and leaned closer to her middle child. _

_ “And… I’ve seen you, Saffron. I’ve seen you fight, and it’s… you’re not perfect, and you’re not the best fighter, I’m not going to lie to you, but what I see every time you step outside to practice, every time you pick yourself up after being knocked down… is  _ **_passion_ ** _. Passion for what you’re doing, and that’s something that no amount of training can teach you. Your skills will catch up, one day, but until then, you just need to keep working.” _

_ Saffron nodded, eyes growing distant, as if she was trying to see all the way into the future. _

_ Coco patted her daughter on the leg before she stood up. _

_ “Come on, let’s go practice your hand-to-hand,” Coco said gently. _

_ Saffron winced as she stood, but she followed her mother out of the house. _

_ And when they fought, Saffron didn’t hold back for her own sake, not even with the hand that she had punched the wall with. _

_ / _

Coco sniffed just a bit before she stood, walking outside and leaving a fond-looking Velvet behind as she made her way toward her daughter.

Saffron looked up, her eyes flashing with hostility for a moment, as if she expected that whoever she had seen from the corner of her eye was going to attack.

When Saffron saw who it was, she calmed down and dropped out of her fighting stance, smiling at her mother and relaxing a bit.

“Hey mom, what’s up?” she asked, reaching one hand up and moving her hair out of her face.

“Just wanted to come and check on you.”

Saffron had on a smug smirk, an insufferable one that Coco recognized from the mirror.

“I’m not a little kid anymore, you know,” Saffron said, though she didn’t sound frustrated, just… excited, even if she was trying to hide that fact from her mother.

“I noticed,” Coco said, setting her hand on her purse with a smirk.

Saffron stood up just a bit straighter, walking over to stand beside her mother.

“You really have gotten better,” Coco said, reaching out to set her hand on top of her daughter’s shoulder.

“I know.”

Coco smirked, bumping her daughter’s shoulder with her own.

“I said it would catch up.”

“You did.”

Coco wrapped her arm around Saffron and pulled her closer, placing a kiss on the top of her head.


	11. Chatting

**Team Leaders**

Jin: Lav, did you hear that?

Lavey: I hear so many things in this house you’re going to have to be more specific.

Jin: Someone climbing in the vents.

Rosemary: Knowing Lavey it was probably her.

Ilesha: Aw, are you in the ventilation again? That’s so cute!

Jin: LITERALLY HOW?!

Ilesha: Have you ever seen her? She’s adorable!

Rosemary: Why do we allow them to be on a chat together?

Jin: Because it’s a team leader chat and they’re both team leaders.

Rosemary: But they do nothing but flirt!

Jin: Correction, Ilesha flirts and Lavey blushes without responding.

Ilesha: Awwww! She’s so CUTE when she does that!

Jin: Okay, we’re getting off topic, Lavey are you the one that’s in the vents or do I need to go get Aella.

Lavey: I’m in the living room.

Jin: So it’s MY gremlin crawling in the ventilation. Of course it is. Can you climb in there and get her?

Lavey: No way, I’m busy.

Ilesha: She’s texting me!

Jin: Just pause that for like five minutes and go get your sister out of the vents!

Lavey: You do it!

Jin: You know I can’t fit in the vents! I’m not a gremlin!

Lavey: You’re really not making me want to do this, you know.

Jin: What do you want?

Lavey: You know what I want.

Jin: Screw off, I’m not going to give you a favor for doing something you should do anyways! I’ll do it myself!

Lavey: You said it yourself, you can’t fit in the vents.

Jin: I don’t have to fit my whole body in the vents, just an arm.

Rosemary: I feel like we should warn Aella about what’s about to happen.

Lavey: No, wait, I want to see how this plays out.

Ilesha: Yeah, snitches get stitches, Rose.

Rosemary: Who taught you that?

Lavey: Nobody needs to teach her this, she’s smart and worldly.

Ilesha: Crystal explained this to me.

Rosemary: I knew it was a bad idea to let them date you.

Lavey: LET US?!

Ilesha: They’re great girlfriends!

Jin: Enough, everyone shut up while I get this gremlin out of the vents.

Lavey: OH SHIT SHE JUST STUCK HER ARM INTO THE VENTS AND PULLED AELLA OUT OF THERE AND AELLA’S SCREAMING!

-

**Team JARR**

Aella: SOS SEND HELP JIN IS TRYING TO KILL ME!

Romelle: What’d you do?

Romy: What makes you think Aella did something?

Romelle: Because she ALWAYS does something.

Jin: Why are you two texting? You never text one another!

Romelle: I think the real issue is that you’re possibly killing our teammate. What happened?

Jin: Vents again.

Romelle: Why does she even go in the vents? It’s so WEIRD

Aella: HEY! THE VENTS ARE A PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE FORM OF TRAV-

Romy: Oh Dust what happened?

Jin: I took her scroll.

Romelle: That’s it, I’m calling the cops.

Romy: You know she can take the police.

Romelle: Not those cops, the _real_ ones.

-

**Romelle and Adolpha**

Romelle: I heard that Jin’s possibly killing Aella, you might want to do something about that.

Adolpha: I don’t really.

Romelle: Understandable, she’s a little gremlin.

Adolpha: There’s nothing wrong with gremlins, I’m just enjoying some downtime.

Romelle: Good, you deserve it, you never took time for yourself. Also, on behalf of all gremlins, I thank you.

Adolpha: No problem, just don’t tell Aella.

Romelle: Don’t worry, it’ll be our little secret.

-

**Team LAAC**

Crystal: So we’re just going to let this happen, right?

Lavey: Yeah I’m way too comfy to help her.

Adolpha: Could not pay me enough favors to do this.

Auburn: But she’s our sister. You guys wouldn’t leave me if something like this happened, right?

Lavey: I definitely wouldn’t leave my other sisters in this situation.

Auburn: But that doesn’t answer my question.

Lavey: Then don’t ask stupid questions.

Crystal: Can you two stop fighting, you’re blowing my phone up.

Adolpha: Yeah because that’s what’s blowing up your phone, not Ilesha.

Lavey: Ooooh she got you!

Crystal: She is LITERALLY texting both of us right now!

-

**Heaven On Remnant**

Ilesha: Is Jin still trying to kill Aella?

Crystal: Far as we know.

Lavey: Probably.

Crystal: Also, do you REALLY need to call the group chat this?

Ilesha: Because to me you two are heaven on Remnant for me!

Lavey: You can’t see it, but Crystal’s blushing and she looks like she’s about to cry.

Crystal: Shut your damn mouth, you’re not any better!

Ilesha: Aww, you’re both so cute!

Crystal: I’m not cute!

-

**Lavey Ɛ > and Ilesha**

Ilesha: Send me a cute picture of Crystal?

Lavey: You mean an embarrassing one? Yes.

-

**Ɛ > Crystal and Ilesha**

Crystal: Don’t tell me you want a picture of Lavey.

Ilesha: Aw you know me so well! Pleaseeeeee?

Crystal: Fine, but you have to tell me how you got that three next to my name backwards.

-

**Team IMCA**

Mavros: I heard that your sister died. My condolences.

Cooper: WHAT?!

Ilesha: Don’t worry, Jin just got mad at Aella, they’re fine.

Akio: Thank you for the condolences, please dress in cloaks for her funeral. It’s what she would have wanted.


	12. Random

Adolpha glanced up when she saw Lavey flop against the couch in front of her.

“What’s wrong with you?” Adolpha asked.

“Wow, that’s the nicest you’ve ever asked me that! It’s usually more like ‘what in the name of Dust is wrong with you?!’”

Adolpha raised an eyebrow, looking down at her sister, who was now sprawled out in her lap with a slightly frustrated look on her face.

Lavey looked away from her, and Adolpha reached her hand up to poke her sister in the arm.

“Okay, okay!” Lavey held her hands up. “Just stop grilling me!”

Adolpha smirked to herself, causing Lavey to roll her eyes.

“Dust, you’re starting to get insufferable. Should have left you alone instead of bettering you as a person.”

Adolpha smacked her arm.

“Anyways, our mothers were trying to grill me about you and Jin again, asking why you’re both so weird now,” Lavey said.

“Oh, lame,” Adolpha said. “Need me to do anything?”

“You can talk to them for me and try to explain.”

“I already did that, but if you want me to again, I’ll do it.”

“No, they’re just being irrational, I don’t want to put you through that again.”

Adolpha snickered and leaned back in the chair, setting her hand down and running it through Lavey’s hair.

Lavey jumped and looked up at her sister, raising an eyebrow.

Adolpha didn’t seem to notice, considering she was looking down at her scroll again. She’d been doing that a lot lately, and Lavey thought that she must have been enjoying her time relaxing. Seems like she was even starting to hang out with people other than her siblings when she was bossing them around.

In fact, she hadn’t been bossing  _ anyone _ around as of late, and both sisters had to say that they were enjoying the change.

Meanwhile, Jin was picking up the hole that her sister had left in the family.

“Hey! Feet off the couch!” Jin snapped.

Adolpha jumped and all but threw herself to her feet, causing Lavey to cry out as she was thrown down to the ground too.

Lavey grunted as she hit the carpet with a  **_thump_ ** .

“Hey!” Lavey groaned.

Adolpha flushed as soon as she realized what had happened, and she knelt down, reaching out her hand for Lavey to take.

“Sorry!” she said quickly, helping her sister to her feet.

“Dolph, why did you freak out? Your feet  _ weren’t even on the couch _ ! Mine were!” Lavey cried.

“I-I don’t know, sorry, Lav.”

Lavey shrugged, rolling her shoulders and dusting herself off with her hands.

“Whatever, just… just don’t do it again.”

“Right!” Adolpha said quickly, taking a seat back on the couch. Lavey immediately flopped back onto the couch as well, glancing over at her sister consideringly.

Adolpha squirmed a bit uncomfortably as Lavey watched her.

“Hey, don’t take this whole… listening to what people tell you too far. Just… listen to what I have to say instead of anyone,” Lavey said with a playful smirk, elbowing her sister.

Adolpha didn’t laugh, just nodding knowingly.

Lavey wondered if she should say something about that, but she decided against it, instead pulling out her scroll and starting to message her team. They had to get ready for the party, and Lavey had some plans that her teammates seemed excited for.

Even  _ Auburn _ was!

Though… Lavey had to admit that she was worried how enthusiastic Adolpha seemed at the prospect, though Lavey decided not to think about that too much. She had plans for  _ that _ whole fiasco, but she didn’t want to get into them until the second semester. She’d been working on it for a few years now, and it certainly hadn’t come to fruition again… but she was determined to do so…

Even if she had to, once again, drag Adolpha kicking and screaming the whole way through because  _ damnit, she was going to make that girl happy if it  _ **_killed_ ** _ her! _

“What are you smiling at? That’s your mischief smile too. Is there something you’re planning for us to do?” Adolpha asked, leaning down a bit so that she could whisper to Lavey.

“What? Oh, I’m always planning something, but this is just idle planning at the moment, so there’s nothing we need to talk about,” Lavey said, waving her hand dismissively.

Adolpha shrugged and turned her attention away from the team leader.

Lavey put her scroll down and sprawled out further, closing her eyes like she was going to take a nap, instead, she planned out her schemes for the next few weeks.


	13. Team Chats

**Team LAAC**

Crystal: Are you sure about this?

Lavey: Don’t pretend that you’re not looking forward to this too.

Adolpha: You have seemed pretty excited, Cy.

Crystal: Why do you always take her side?! Kiss up.

Adolpha: Wouldn’t it be a kiss DOWN because she’s shorter than me?

Lavey: One more word about my height and I’m taking your damn knee caps.

Adolpha: Not many words to have, not much height to have.

Crystal: Oooh where’s THIS Adolpha been all our lives?!

Lavey: Hidden behind so many layers of asshole, just like all of us, now shut up and help me plan.

Crystal: Fine, fine, so where are we putting the traps?

Adolpha: It still makes me uncomfortable calling them traps.

Lavey: You’re starting to sound like an Auburn.

Auburn: Are you using my name like that again?! Our moms said to stop!

Adolpha: Dust, you sound like such an Auburn right now.

Crystal: She said it!!!

Auburn: I AM Auburn!

Lavey: That explains it. Anyways, I was thinking about putting them near room entrances, you know, so we can always have an exit and an entrance one.

Crystal: Genius!

Adolpha: See? She’s totally into this.

Lavey: Yes, yes, we know, she wants to trap people.

Adolpha: You’re the one that said we should do this in the first place. I mean you ordered the traps and stuff.

Lavey: Yes, because my genius knows no bounds, not even when I’m hindered by an Auburn.

Auburn: I’m feeling very attacked here.

Lavey: Good, because I’m attacking you.

-

**Team IMCA**

Ilesha: Okay, has everyone been doing their dance practices everyday?

Akio: Yeah, yeah, I’ve been getting some weird looks for it, but I’ve been doing them.

Ilesha: You’re not supposed to be doing your practices where anyone could see! Then it’s not going to be a surprise at the party!

Akio: First of all, everyone is too surprised to see me dancing. Second of all, nobody pays attention to me in this house, there’s too many gremlins for anyone to really focus on me.

Cooper: That’s true, I’ve been there a lot, and nobody really pays attention to him. It’s kind of sad.

Akio: Thanks, Coop, that makes me feel SO MUCH better.

Cooper: No problem!!!!!

Mavros: I think Cooper’s moms want to kill me.

Cooper: No they don’t!!!

Akio: Oh no, they definitely do, I heard Aunt Winter on the phone with Momma Weiss and she was complaining about you and how you treat Cooper.

Mavros: What?! I treat Cooper great!

Akio: Yeah, that was sort of the problem.

Cooper: What? Why would that be a problem?

Akio: I’d say that it’s obvious.

Mavros: Let’s just leave it. Ilesha, I think that Coop and I are ready for the dance at the party.

Ilesha: That’s great! That means we just need to make sure that we get together at least once before the party to practice.

Akio: Yeah, but I don’t know if that’s going to be possible.

Ilesha: Why?

Akio: Because I think that Lav and Cy would kill me if I saw you during this break when they didn’t get the chance to.

Ilesha: Aw, would they really be that jealous? That’s so cute!

Akio: Is there anything that they do that you DON’T find cute?!

Ilesha: Nope!

-

**Jin and Akio**

Akio: Hey, I need a favor.

Jin: What for?

Akio: So you know what team LAAC is planning for the party?

Jin: Obviously, it’s not subtle.

Akio: Good, I need your help with that.

Jin: Do go on.

-

**Team JARR**

Jin: Report?

Romy: I really think that it’s unfair for you to demand a report of the day when we’re not even in teams right now.

Romelle: Nothing much. But I guess Romy decided to prank Momma Ciel. No big deal.

Romy: SNITCH!

Aella: Snitches get stitches.

Romelle: Yeah, well, living with her is going to get me stitches anyway.

Jin: Are you two alright?

Romy: I don’t know!

Romelle: We’re fine.

Aella: Really? Because you don’t really seem fine.

Jin: Yeah, you kind of seem like one of you is going to stage a suicide for the other and then have us lie and cover it up to the cops, all while neither of us know which twin survived.

Romelle: That is… so specific!

Romy: Have you thought this through before?!

Jin: Not important.

Romelle: But other than that, it’s been pretty fine.

Romy: Jin, is Adolpha there? I want to know if she’s down to spar.

Jin: She’s not here. Don’t message her, she’s busy.

Aella: What? Jin, she’s not busy, she’s laying on the couch with Lavey. I’m sure she’d love to spar with you.

-

**Team RSCC**

Clover: How are you guys doing? Hope you’re not having too much fun without you!

Colby: Oh, don’t worry, we’re not having that much fun. Missing you!

Saffron: Well, I’m definitely having fun!

Colby: That’s rude, Saff.

Saffron: You would know, obviously.

Rosemary: It’s been fine, Clove. You should come over sometime soon, we’ve been missing you.

Colby: Yeah!

Clover: That’d be great!

-

**Romy and Adolpha**

Romy: You mind if I come over for a spar?

Adolpha: Yeah! Sure thing! Whenever you want!

Romy: Great, be over soon.

Adolpha: Awesome!


	14. Bad Word

Meriah was humming as she skipped into the room with a small smile on her face.

It was nice to have her brothers and sisters back, and she couldn’t wipe the smile off of her face. The house was finally full again and they were all together.

Meriah entered the room and was immediately surprised to find that Jin was yelling at top volume, her words directed at Aella, who didn’t seem to be surprised by her irate sister. It used to be Adolpha that Meriah would occasionally hear yelling at their siblings, but lately it had been Jin more so than her other sister, which made Meriah happy.

Jin had always been a little bit uncomfortable in her own skin, awkward around her siblings even. She kept trying to imitate Adolpha, but never seemed to be able to. Who would have guessed that she’d be able to be more like the old Adolpha when she wasn’t even trying?

Speaking of Adolpha, she was in the corner of the room, watching Jin with wide eyes, her expression filled with disbelief as Jin continued to yell. Aella looked fine with the arrangement, and Meriah had gathered that the new and improved version of Jin might have a few… anger issues.

Aella’s eyes widened and she reached forward, tapping her sister on the shoulder and then gesturing at Meriah.

Jin turned and her expression instantly shifted from frustrated to worried.

“Hey, Mer!” Jin said, her voice turning to the old version that Meriah was familiar with. It was comforting to know that the old, gentle Jin was there underneath the new version of her sister, but she was also glad that Jin had developed into the person she was meant to be. Meriah and Lavey had talked a few times about how long that would take. Looks like those gremlin teammates of Jin’s were enough to speed up the process.

“Hey, Jin!” Meriah said excitedly, waving at her older sister.

“What’re you doing here? I thought you were hanging out with Lavey and Crystal,” Jin said, glancing around. She obviously wouldn’t have been yelling if she had thought that Meriah was nearby enough for her to be upset by the loud noises.

Meriah had been hanging out with Crystal and Lavey, but she had left when she had heard the yelling from across the house. Her Faunus ears had allowed her to hear from across the house.

“I was, but then they both got distracted by Ilesha, and then it got boring,” Meriah lied, shrugging.

“Should have known better to have those two watch her, of course they both got distracted by Ilesha,” Jin sighed and shook her head, running a hand through her hair. “Those two…”

“Yeah, it’s been kind of weird with them dating her. She was always nice, but they always ignored her. She usually hung out with me during gatherings,” Meriah said, shrugging. She suddenly smirked. “Speaking of dating… have any of you finally come to your senses and started to date Saffron?”

“For the last time, no!” Jin cried, rolling her eyes. “What’s with you and trying to set us up with Saffron?!”

“Saffron’s awesome!” Meriah said, almost whining as she answered. “And she deserves someone awesome! Plus, I want her to be my official sister-in-law!”

Jin rolled her eyes.

“So you don’t want one of us to date her, you want us to marry her?” Aella asked.

“I’m not picky! It doesn’t have to be just one of you! She’s good enough for two or three of you! Maybe even four!” Meriah cried, throwing her arms up into the air.

“Why are you obsessed with her?” Adolpha asked, raising an eyebrow from where she stood. She was in the corner of the room, leaning against the wall with one foot pressed against the wall.

“Because she’s amazing and my role model!” Meriah cried, her voice almost a whine once more.

Jin groaned.

“Really? She’s your role model? You had seven perfectly good siblings to pick from, but you chose her? Why?!”

Aella snickered and started to escape into the vents.

Jin’s arm reached out, and she grabbed Aella by the cloak just before she could disappear.

“Six perfectly good older siblings.”

“Because she’s a badass that never gives up!” Meriah said.

“Who taught you that word?!” Jin snapped. Aella’s eyes had widened, and even Adolpha stood up straighter, pushing herself off of the wall.

“Crystal.”

“Crystal WHAT?!” Jin yelled.

Meriah flinched and Jin grimaced.

“Right, sorry,” Jin whispered, patting her sister on the shoulder.

Adolpha glared at Jin and gently ran her hand over Meriah’s ears playfully.

“Hey, don’t worry about it, Mer. Just don’t say it again,” Adolpha said. “Now, we’re going to go have a talk with your sister.”

A form appeared in the room, and Akio looked up from his book as he lounged on the chair. He must have been in his room laying down to be in that position.

“What did Cy do this time?” he asked.

“Taught Meriah a bad word,” Aella growled, reaching into her cloak.

“Crystal taught Meriah a  **bad word** ?!” Lavey cried.

Adolpha jumped and cursed under her breath, thankfully too quiet for anyone else to have heard, considering how they had reached to Crystal teaching Meriah a bad word.

Lavey had popped out of the vent, and she had a murderous glint to her eyes as she dropped to the ground.

“AUBURN!” Lavey howled. Adolpha had seen her get ready to yell, and she had launched herself forward to cover Meriah’s sensitive ears.

Meriah grinned up at her oldest sister and leaned back against her sister’s front.

Auburn skidded into the room, almost falling over. Lavey reached out and steadied him with an eye roll.

“Watch Meriah, we have a sister to beat u-”

Aella reached out and covered Lavey’s mouth with her hand.

“Have a pleasant chat about bad words with,” Jin said diplomatically, giving Aella a small smile before she walked out of the room, her siblings racing after her.

Crystal looked up with a confused expression on her face as the door was thrown open.

“You taught Meriah WHAT?!” Jin yelled.

Crystal jumped in shock, tripping over a toy that Meriah had left on the ground and tumbling over, hitting the floor with a  **thump** .

“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Crystal said with wide eyes.

“You taught Meriah the word ‘badass,’” Aella said with a growl.

“S-so?” Crystal asked. “We all learned those words around her age.”

“But Meriah is  _ different _ from us!” Lavey snapped.

“Is this more shit about her not being one of the triplets or quadruplets? That’s so petty and rude-”

Crystal was cut off before she could finish.

“No, this is more shit about her being different from us because she’s  **better** !” Jin snapped.

Crystal wondered if she could play the dumb card, but she knew that wouldn’t work. She herself had used that argument yesterday at the dinner table when Momma Weiss had said that Meriah couldn’t have extra dessert.

“It won’t happen again,” Crystal said quickly.

“Oh, you hear that, Jin?” Akio asked. “She’s not going to teach Meriah the word badass again. You hear that?” He turned to Crystal, and when he spoke again, his voice was no longer sarcastic. “You opened Pandora’s box, Cy, and this is what was inside!”

“I don’t even know what that reference means!” Crystal cried.

“It means you’re about to get beat up,” Jin said.

Crystal’s eyes widened before her gaze shot around the room.

“Get her!” Aella cried.

Before they had the chance to do as she said, Crystal had leapt into action, falling to the ground and scrambling into the vents.

“Did… did she just go into the vents?!” Jin cried.

“Wow, didn’t know she was that type of gremlin. She’s evolving,” Lavey said.

“This is all Ilesha’s fault, saying that that vent crawling is cute,” Akio muttered.

“Aella, Lavey, go get her,” Jin said, smirking to herself.

“On it!” Aella cried.

“My pleasure.”

Crystal was cursing in the vents for the next five minutes, which really didn’t help calm her irate siblings down.


	15. Halloween

Spider-Man dashed down the street at full speed, holding a pumpkin basket in one hand. Behind them, Flash raced behind, moving with blurring speed as they almost slammed into Spider-Man.

“Hey, Merrie, stay with the group, baby,” Ruby said gently, holding her daughter loosely around the waist, as if she was terrified that she might race off again.

“Don’t call me by my alter-ego, Flash!” Meriah whined. “You’ll let the villains know who I am!”

A figure cloaked in blue appeared at Meriah’s side, a face poking out of the darkness.

“Why can’t you commit like Raven?” Meriah asked with a huff, crossing her arms.

Ruby glanced at Akio, who sent her a wink.

“Avengers, assemble!” Adolpha called, raising up her Captain America shield.

“Or her!” Meriah cried.

“Yeah, I’m not following some creep in tights,” Lavey said, arms crossed.

“See?! Even Deadpool’s being true to their character!” Meriah said.

“You should  _ not _ be reading Deadpool comics,” Cat Woman said, her ear flicking on the top of her head.

“And Hulk shouldn’t be ogling Cat Woman, but here we are,” Kitty Pryde said, her white and black tail flicking behind her in frustration.

Yang flushed underneath the green face paint, glancing at the clearly irritated Blake dressed as Cat Woman.

Crystal, dressed as Kitty Pryde, rolled her eyes.

“Zatanna and Flash shouldn’t be staring at Cat Woman either, but here we are,” Aella, dressed as Rogue, said, running a hand through her white and black hair in irritation.

“It’s not the Hulk’s fault,” Yang said, lowering her voice and gesturing at Blake, “pretty lady distracting.”

“Gross, mom!” Jin cried, throwing up her hands, and Thor’s hammer, into the air in her disgust.

Auburn, dressed as Aquaman, put a hand on Jin’s shoulder comfortingly.

“We’re all grossed out,” he said sagely, shaking his head.

Jin made a face of disgust.

“Well blame Crystal!” Yang cried.

“Not my fault that you’re gross!” Crystal groaned. “How was I supposed to know that Cat Woman was too adult for me?! She has a tail, so I thought-”

“I told you we weren’t letting you out in a skin-tight suit!” Weiss hissed.

“But Mama Blake gets to, and none of you have been paying attention all night!” Lavey said, rolling her eyes. “I mean Momma Yang walked into a light post earlier!”

Yang coughed awkwardly when Blake smacked her on the arm.

“H-hey, how about we go try to catch up with the Soliels? I mean, the costumes make more sense in a big group,” Yang said, pushing her children forward.

Adolpha looked excitedly, and she took off with Meriah to watch her… and perhaps for another reason that she would never say, even if her whole family knew.

“Mom, nobody knows who you’re dressed up as!” Romy cried.

Neo rolled her eyes and signed back at her daughter.

_ ‘It doesn’t matter what I look like because Mystique can look like anyone in the world.’ _

“But then nobody would know who you are and it makes you look like you’re not a part of the group,” Romelle said, rolling her eyes as she hefted her scepter. She subtly smacked her sister in the back of the head with it.

“Hey!” Romy, dressed as Hela, cried.

“Sorry, it has a mind of its own,” Romelle, dressed as Loki, said with a smirk, hefting her scepter for emphasis.

“Quit it,” Ciel said with an eye roll.

Ciel was dressed up as Batwoman, mostly because, as her wife had signed, she was “smart, mysterious, and always stopping her villainous family.”

Adolpha jogged over, stopping beside Romy and smiling awkwardly down at her.

“Hey… I, uh, like your horn things,” Adolpha said.

“It’s a crown,” Romy said, rolling her eyes.

Romelle smacked her arm.

“She doesn’t know what it is, I’m the one that made it,” Romelle replied.

Thor set her arm on top of Loki’s head, and Romelle looked up at Jin with a raised eyebrow, clearly not impressed, even as Jin grinned down at her excitedly.

Further down the street, Magneto held up a hand, and metal was twirling above their hand. Sun stared at Pyrrha lovingly, putting his hand on her arm and linking theirs together.

Sun himself was dressed as Kraven the Hunter, if only so he could have his shirt off without it looking odd in the group. Ilia had rolled her eyes at that, but had rolled her eyes harder when he had suggested what she go as. Ilia had called it racist when he’d said it, even though Sun himself was a Faunus too. Despite that, Ilia was dressed up as the hero he had suggested; Beast Boy. She had turned all of her scales green to sell it, and had gone all out on the costume as well.

Next to them, Clover was dressed Colossus, if only because of how tall he was compared to… well, not just his family and family friends, but everyone.

Raelynn was trailing behind a bit, dressed as Gamora, and jogged to catch up to her family.

Even further up the road, the Adel family was trick or treating and dressed up with the same costume.

Coco had on a pair of red sunglasses, which she had borrowed from Saffron’s regular attire, which sold the costume of Cyclops along with the rest of the clothing. Beside her, Velvet had her helmet on to cover her ears completely, and dressed in yellow. Coco had been rather adamant that she went as Wasp, and Velvet hadn’t exactly realized why until they had started to make the costume and it was too late to back out. Despite not being able to see Coco’s eyes, Velvet was quite sure where they were locked.

Rosemary was dressed as Doctor Strange, and she used the red cloak around her to cover her fox tail. Beside her, Colby had his arrows out and slung over his shoulder proudly, as he was dressed as Hawkeye. Finally, Saffron walked down the street confidently, a small smirk on her face as she walked down the sidewalk, clearly happy with her costume.

She was dressed up as X-Men’s Phoenix, and she hadn’t stopped smiling all night.

“I still think that’s a weird choice for you,” Colby said.

Saffron deflated a bit, glancing at her brother.

“What? Why?” she asked.

“Didn’t she struggle with having  _ too much _ power? I think your problem is the opposite.”

Saffron sank into herself.

“Colby!” Coco snapped, reaching her hand up and smacking her son in the back of the head.

Saffron sighed and looked away from her family.

“I-it’s okay, mom, he’s right.”

Coco scowled at her son and shoved him toward Velvet before she herself moved closer to Saffron, kneeling down in front of her.

“Don’t listen to him, Saff. You’re going to be one of the most powerful Huntresses ever, I just  _ know it _ ,” Coco said softly.

Saffron smiled up at her mother and wiped at her eyes.

“Thanks, Coco.”

“Coco? No way, I’m  _ Cyclops _ , brave and powerful X-Men who is convinced that there’s still good in Jean Gray, despite her power corrupting her. Now come on, we have candy to steal.”

“We’re getting this candy legally!” Velvet called.

“Stealing!” Coco cried, dragging her daughter down the street.

Natalie glanced over her shoulder and rolled her eyes at the loud woman, shaking her head before she turned back to her family. Natalie herself was dressed as Man-Bat, her prosthetics covering most of her costume, though she did have her jacket thrown on over it. Next to her was Ivy, who was walking with a small smirk on her face as she hummed under her breath. She was dressed as Poison Ivy, which made Rachel laugh every time she looked at her wife, and had doubled over laughing the first time it had happened. Rachel herself had gone with the theme her wives had, and she had a baseball bat swung over her shoulder and she blew a bubble with her gum. She was, obviously, dressed as Harley Quinn. Natalie had thought that giving her wife a baseball bat was a horrible idea, but she had been out voted by the family, who really seemed to want them all to be DC villains.

Braelyn had dressed herself up as The Riddler, which her family had found quite fitting. Bentley had gone as Bane, and he was having fun with the deep breathing. Cassandra had gone as the Joker, and Natalie had wondered if she needed to be more worried about that.

Natalie looped her arm around Ivy’s shoulder, and Ivy glanced over at her with a fond smile, but she was soon distracted by Alea, who was dressed as Supergirl. It was weird to see Poison Ivy and Supergirl talking so amicably, but nobody dared to mention it, considering the two were pretty much inseparable.

Alea was holding hands with Terresa, who was dressed as Luke Cage, and Alea had told her that she looked  _ fantastic _ . Lexey was in an Elektra costume, and her wives seemed to enjoy it greatly. Meanwhile, Stacey had a sword at her hip, and her hand was resting on it. She was dressed up as Colleen Wing. Alea’s final wife was Syntheia, who was wearing a leather jacket, which she may or may not have borrowed from Natalie, and dressed up as Jessica Jones.

In front of them, their children were excitedly hurrying toward the next house.

Ilesha glanced over her shoulder to see if the Belladonna-Schnees were anywhere close, and she got a quick glance at Crystal and Lavey. They both looked beautiful in their costumes, but Ilesha tried to ignore that. She was trying to get over her crushes for both of them, but it had been difficult. Though, she thought she would be over them before she got to Beacon in the next few months.

Ilesha was dressed up as Wonderwoman, and she shared a grin with Alea as she skipped down the street.

Beside her was Zohra, who was dressed up as Black Widow, though her five mothers had made sure that she wasn’t wearing something too revealing.

Their third and final child, Arlen, was dressed up as Booster Gold, and he was grinning excitedly as he fixed his golden costume.

Up ahead was the Schnee-Polendina family, which had dressed up as well.

Cooper was skipping next to Penny, both of them holding one of Winter’s hands and tugging her along behind them. Cooper was dressed up as Star-Lord, and he had his mask on over his face. Despite it, both of his mothers could tell that he was extremely excited about the event. Penny had come dressed as Ironman, despite Winter thinking that joke was not as funny as her wife seemed to think, and she had on the armor over her normal costume.

Winter hadn’t wanted to dress up, but she hadn’t been able to say no to Penny on her own before they’d had their son, and he was just as adorable as his mother, so it was impossible to say no now. She wanted to be frustrated, but she really couldn’t, considering how excited her family was.

A little ways ahead of them was the Valkyrie family, the final ones that were dressed up.

The five had dressed up as the Shazam family. Nora had dressed up as “the red girl,” as she had called it. Jaune was dressed up as “the green one” and Ren had taken “the gray one.”

Their two children, Barrie and Abdera, had dressed up as “the blue one” and “the purple one” respectively.

The large group had made their way down several streets together, and the people in the neighborhood were starting to wonder if they had missed a memo that had talked about everyone having to dress up as superheroes and supervillains.

Despite a few complaints that would, obviously, be voiced later, the large group had a  **great** time that Halloween, and they weren’t likely to forget it any time soon.

(Whether or not that was because Nora wouldn’t shut up about not getting to be Thor, it was still a fun memory.)


	16. The Date

Crystal jumped in shock as she heard a ringing in the room. It sounded like it was being echoed, but it didn’t take long for her to realize that it wasn’t echoing, there were just two scrolls that were ringing.

She groaned as she opened her eyes, reaching over to grab at her bedside table until she got her device.

“Will you two shut those things up?” Adolpha groaned, shoving the pillow over her head in frustration. 

Lavey huffed and grabbed her own scroll.

Both of them almost hung up before they even answered, but they hesitated when they saw that  _ Ilesha _ of all people had called them. The two shared a suffering look before they answered, awaiting whatever their girlfriend had in store for them.

“Oh, I’m so glad you picked up!” Ilesha cried in excitement.

Lavey grumbled and moved the scroll further from her ear to stop it from getting yelled into.

“Babe, it’s three in the morning,” Crystal grumbled, causing Lavey to groan in frustration.

“Ilesha, honey, did you  _ really _ just call us at three in the morning?” Lavey asked, letting her eyes fall shut as if she was hoping that she was just dreaming, and she would just be able to slip back into sleep again-

Ilesha ruined that.

“Yes! And I’m  _ so _ glad that you picked up, because I have something I need to tell you!”

“What?” Crystal asked, rubbing her temple with one hand.

“I had a dream!”

“That’s great, hun,” Lavey said, sighing, “can we talk about it in the morning, please?”

“No, that’s not it! This is important!” Ilesha cried happily.

Lavey and Crystal shared a look of frustration.

“Can you three hurry it up?!” Jin growled.

Lavey looked around the room quickly, finding that almost all of her sisters were awake. Somehow,  _ somehow _ , Aella was still asleep, snoring loudly. It was almost impossible to wake her up, and Yang was the first one to have mastered the art unassisted (she threw a frozen washcloth at her until she jerked awake. Jin had used a air horn, and that seemed to do the trick, though she supposed it wasn’t as fun as what Yang did).

“Okay, okay, what was the dream about?” Crystal said sufferingly.

Lavey ran her hand down her face in frustration.

“We went on a date! A-and it was  _ so much fun _ ! Oh, I planned something  **incredible** , and you two said that you l-”

Ilesha suddenly cut off, and Lavey and Crystal shared a look of confusion.

“I-I mean, you two said that it was a great date, and then we flew away! Though that might have been because I was dreaming… but I think we should go on a date anyways!’ Ilesha continued.

“Yeah, that sounds great, babe,” Crystal said, though she seemed like she was half listening.

Lavey looked up at her sister, eyes wide, and Crystal glanced at her. It took a moment before Crystal gasped in shock, realizing what had happened and how she had responded.

“Great! Let’s go tomorrow!”

“T-tomorrow?!” Lavey said.

Adolpha sighed and shoved her face further into her pillow.

“Can you two be a little less dramatic for  _ one damn night _ !” Jin growled.

Lavey threw something at her blindly, hitting the edge of her bed.

Jin rolled her eyes and grabbed the shoe that Lavey had thrown, tossing it back and hitting Lavey in the face. Unlike her sister, Jin actually had night vision.

“Yes! Don’t worry, I’m going to plan the whole thing tonight, cause I know you two aren’t the most romantic. I’ll pick you up at five thirty!” Ilesha cried.

“Wait… one question,” Lavey said.

“I have  _ several _ questions,” Crystal muttered.

Lavey waved dismissively at her.

“Do you mean five thirty in the morning or the afternoon?” Lavey grumbled.

“In the afternoon, silly! Nobody goes on a date at five thirty in the morning!” Ilesha said with a giggle.

“Nobody calls anyone at three in the morning either,” Crystal grouched.

Lavey slapped Crystal on the arm.

“Okay! See you then!” Ilesha cried before hanging up.

“Finally,” Adolpha groaned, laying down with a sigh of relief.

There were a few minutes of silence as everyone tried to go to sleep.

“Wait,” Crystal said, sitting up straight.

“What?” Lavey asked, groaning.

“Did she say that we aren’t romantic?” 

“Yeah, and she’s right,” Lavey said with a huff. “I mean, we’re not the ones that called in three in the morning because we want to see our girlfriend on short notice.”

“But we can be romantic!” Crystal snapped, throwing her legs over the edge of the bed. “Come on, idiot!”

“No,” Lavey moaned, curling up in a ball on the bed.

“Yes,” Crystal said, grabbing her sister’s hand and dragging her off of her bed. Lavey hit the ground with a  **thump** before she was pulled out of the room.

Adolpha and Jin shared a sigh of relief and a small smile before they relaxed.

The two menaces were finally gone, off to plan their gremlin plans.

-

Ilesha let out a small sound of content as she stretched on the bed, her eyes fluttering open as the light flooded into her room.

She got a dopey smile on her face as she looked up, sighing as she rolled over. The first thing she wanted to do was message her girlfriends, but she didn’t want to be a bother, and maybe frustrate them.

“Zo, I had the most  _ wonderful _ dreams last night!”

Zohra glanced up from her book and raised an eyebrow.

“Did you now?”

“Yes! Oh, in the first one, I had a great date with my girlfriends,” Zohra rolled her eyebrows, “and then in the second one, I called my girlfriends and said that I wanted to go on a date because I dreamed about it!”

Zohra stared at her sister incredulously.

“That wasn’t a dream, Il.”

“What?”

“You  _ really called them _ last night. Made it damn near impossible to fall asleep. You’re so loud, you know that? Like I get it, you’re in love, you don’t have to be so annoying about it.”

Ilesha was still staring blankly in front of her.

“Oh shit. I called them. I really did that.”

-

Lavey looked over at Crystal, who was on her fifth cup of coffee tonight. Or was it today? Lavey supposed it was technically the morning, though she didn’t want to think about that. She didn’t like being up since three in the morning, but of course it was Ilesha’s fault. Ilesha was the only person she would do this for.

“Okay… okay!” Crystal cried excitedly, putting her papers down. “We’ve got a plan! Now we just have to make sure that it’s better than Ilesha’s, and then it’s smooth sailing!”

“You think it’ll be better than hers?” Lavey asked, sounding almost nervous.

“Definitely.”

Just then, both of their scrolls buzzed, and they shared a look before they reached over and grabbed them.

“H-hey!” Ilesha cried nervously. “I… well, there’s no easy way to say this, but I think we… might have to postpone.”

“What?!” both of them cried as one.

Crystal hesitated for a moment, eyes going wide. She was actually looking forward to this last minute date that she hadn’t even known was happening until she got a call at three in the morning.

“I’m sorry, but I fell asleep last night before I had the chance to plan anything and then…”

Crystal smirked like she was the Grinch that had just stolen Christmas.

“That’s g-that’s fine, we have a plan of our own, actually,” Crystal said smugly.

Ilesha hesitated.

“Really?” Ilesha asked.

“Yeah!” Lavey chimed in quickly.

“That’s great! Well, still want me to pick you up at five thirty?” Ilesha asked.

“That could work,” Lavey said, trying to sound disinterested. It didn’t work.

“Great!” Crystal said, hanging up for both of them.

Ilesha giggled and put her scroll down. They had a  **plan** ! This was going to be great!

-

Ilesha pulled into the driveway with a wide grin.

Ilesha honked the horn of the car twice with an excited grin on her face.

The door slammed open, and two people scrambled over toward the car.

“WHERE DO YOU TWO THINK YOU’RE GOING?!” Weiss screamed from inside.

Lavey and Crystal skidded to a stop as they reached the door, both of them reaching toward the handle.

Lavey bumped her sister out of the way and swung the door to the passenger’s seat open.

“Hey!” Crystal snapped.

“Do you want to argue, or do you want to go?!” Lavey cried.

Crystal glanced over her shoulder at the door before she groaned and threw herself into the backseat.

“Fine! But I get passenger’s seat next time!”

“No, you don’t,” Lavey said. “Now drive, Illy!”

Ilesha hesitated.

“I actually wanted to say hi to Akio real quick, he wanted to talk to me about something-”

“Drive!” Lavey snapped as Weiss burst out of the door.

“But-”

“Do you want to go on a date with us or not?!” Crystal cried.

Ilesha hesitated for just a moment before she slammed on the gas.

“SORRY MRS. WEISS, I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING!” Ilesha screamed out the window as she rocketed out of the neighborhood too quickly for Weiss to say anything.

Lavey and Crystal both relaxed with sighs, leaning back in their seats.

Ilesha played with the front of the console for a moment before the car was filled with music.

“When you're near, I hide my blushing face.”

Lavey and Crystal made eye contact from the mirror, wondering if Ilesha had planned to use this song specifically to embarrass them. Despite that, Ilesha was singing along with a wide grin on her face.

“And trip on my shoelaces.”

Ilesha swayed back and forth in her seat with a wide grin.

“Grace just isn't my forté.”

Lavey took a deep breath, trying to ignore how embarrassed the song made her, and glanced to the side at Ilesha. She found her target and took a moment to brace herself.

“But it brings me to my knees when you say…”

Lavey reached her hand out toward the target.

“Hello, how are you, my darling, today?”

Lavey took one final breath before she moved her hand toward where Ilesha’s own was set on the gear shift. She had this habit where she put her right hand on the gear shift as she drove.

“I fall into a pile on the floor.”

Ilesha picked up her hand when she turned the car.

“Puppy love is hard to ignore.”

Ilesha set her hand back on the gearshift, and Lavey wondered if she could work up the courage again. Finally, she took a deep breath before she reached out.

“When every little thing you do, I do adore.”

Lavey put her hand on top of Ilesha’s quickly, looking forward and making sure that Ilesha couldn’t see her looking at her.

Ilesha let out a small sound of surprise, her gaze shooting to the side to where Lavey had set her hand over her own.

“Aw, you’re so sweet, Lav-Lav,” Ilesha said, smiling at her for a moment before she turned to face the road, squeezing Lavey’s hand in her own.

Lavey blushed deeper and a small smile grew across her lips, though she didn’t dare to look over at her girlfriend as they drove.

-

Ilesha pulled over when Crystal told her to. Or, well, when Crystal yelled at her to do so and almost caused them to crash.

They had stopped in front of a nice restaurant, though it certainly wasn’t fancy, considering none of them had much money, and Ilesha didn’t mind that it was more of a diner than a restaurant.

Ilesha looked over at the two of them with a small smile on her face, tucking some hair behind her ear as she got out of the car.

Lavey went to open hers, and Ilesha threw herself over the hood at top speed, skidding to a stop when she landed and grabbing the door. She pulled it open before she hurried to do the same with Crystal.

Both of them blushed.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Crystal said.

“Of course I did!” Ilesha said happily. “You’re my girlfriends, and I really want to be the best girlfriend possible! So…”

Ilesha held out both of her arms, causing Crystal and Lavey to glance at each other.

Hesitantly, they both reached out and put their hands on her arms.

Ilesha beamed at them before she went toward the diner.

“You know this isn’t a… very nice restaurant, right?” Crystal asked slowly.

“It’s nice because you’re here!” Ilesha said happily.

Crystal held in a groan as her face flushed red.

Seriously, why was Ilesha so good at making her flustered by saying the stupidest things.

Lavey stuck her tongue out at Crystal blushed, causing the Faunus to glare at her darkly.

Ilesha let go of their arms when they reached the door, hurrying forward to hold it open.

Crystal and Lavey shared a look before they entered the diner.

-

“Shit, this place is great!” Crystal hissed to her sister and girlfriend.

Ilesha frowned and reached into her pocket, grabbing a pen. She took the cap off with her teeth before she marked one tally onto her arm.

“What was that for?” Lavey asked.

“It’s just a reminder,” Ilesha said, waving her hand dismissively.

Crystal didn’t notice as she continued to eat her food.

-

Ilesha led her girlfriends out of the diner with a wide grin. Crystal hesitantly pulled closer to her, arm looped through Ilesha’s own. She put her head on Ilesha’s shoulder for a moment before she frowned in confusion.

She reached one hand up, trying to ignore the way it made her heart race, and put it on Ilesha’s forearm.

“What are all of those for?” she asked, running her finger down the four tally marks that were on her arm.

“Don’t worry about it,” Ilesha said with a giggle, kissing the top of her head before setting her own on Lavey’s. “So, where are we going next?”

“It’s a surprise!” Lavey said with an excited smirk on her face.

Ilesha didn’t seem to care as she was dragged toward the car by her overly enthusiastic girlfriends.

-

Lavey hurried out of the car, the backseat of the car that is, considering Crystal had gotten her way about riding in the passenger’s seat the next time.

Ilesha looked around with a slightly confused expression on her face. She found that Lavey was racing over to grab a ladder, which she rested against a building. Or, well, it wasn’t exactly a building, but more a hovel, which Ilesha thought was far too short for anyone to go inside.

“Why do we need a ladder?” Ilesha asked, frowning down at Lavey as she struggled to position it perfectly.

“Because we need to get to the top of that building for the next part of our date!” Lavey said, continuing to try to place the ladder where she wanted it.

“Here, it’s not that tall,” Ilesha said gently.

“Maybe for you,” Lavey growled.

Ilesha grabbed Lavey by the waist and hefted her into the air.

“Here you go, Lav-Lav!” Ilesha said cheerfully.

Lavey’s face turned a bright shade of red as she was picked up, and she took a deep breath to calm herself.

“Are you going to go up there?” Ilesha teased gently.

Lavey laughed awkwardly.

“Right, sorry,” She said, pulling herself up to the top of the hut.

Ilesha then turned to face Crystal, leaning down.

Crystal took a deep breath and forced herself to do something she had been too scared to do all night.

She leaned up, letting her eyes flutter shut-

And Ilesha grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her into the air above her head.

Crystal’s eyes flashed open and she had a moment of déjà vu, knowing she had been in this position before, Ilesha not seeming to notice what she wanted.

Crystal sighed quietly and pulled herself up onto the hut, Ilesha hopping up after her expertly and grinning at the two of them.

“So, what are we doing up here?” Ilesha asked.

Lavey gestured for her to lay down, and the two of them followed Ilesha.

She was surprised as each of them put their heads on her shoulders.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around the two of them, pulling them closer.

“We’re here to stargaze,” Lavey whispered, letting out a happy sigh as she let her eyes fall shut.

“You know, I was wrong, you two  **are** pretty romantic,” Ilesha said.

“We know,” Crystal said quietly, leaning closer to her girlfriend. She reached one hand up and cupped Ilesha’s face in her hands, leaning closer and letting her eyes flutter shut.

Ilesha leaned down closer, and Crystal smiled just slightly-

Ilesha pulled back, and Crystal’s eyes flew open, and she stared at Ilesha in shock.

“W-”

Ilesha pulled away from Crystal for a moment before she marked off two of the tally marks she had made on her arms.

“W-what?” Crystal asked, blinking in confusion. “What’s with the tallies?!”

“Oh, they’re for each time you cursed tonight.”

Crystal flushed and glanced down at the tallies.

“What about them?” Crystal whispered.

Lavey had a positively  _ wicked _ grin on her face.

“Each time, I make a tally on her arm and then I mark them off each time you try to kiss me and I don’t let you.”

Crystal gaped in shock and Lavey  **_beamed_ ** in excitement.

“Don’t… what?”

“Yeah! My Momma Alea did the same to Mama Stacey and Syntheia when they were pregnant with me and my siblings! Made them stop cursing!” Ilesha continued, grinning in excitement, as if she was expecting Crystal to think she was some sort of genius.

“I don’t know how, but you being mean to my sister just makes you hotter,” Lavey said, leaning over and grabbing Ilesha’s face in both of her hands and pulling her in for a kiss.

Crystal groaned in frustration, leaning back and watching the stars while she tried to distract herself while her sister and girlfriend kissed beside her.

-

Ilesha glanced at her arm, seeing that only one tally mark was left. She didn’t like the tally mark system, she missed Crystal, and her girlfriend looked so frustrated… but at least she was cute when she was frustrated, and that was a plus.

She looked over and saw that both of her girlfriends had fallen asleep.

She had assumed, considering they had both started to gently snore, and they were curled up at her sides.

Ilesha slowly wiggled out from under them, making sure they were still asleep, and then looked down at them lovingly.

She took a moment to consider before she grabbed the pen out of her pocket and marked off the final tally.

Ilesha decided that Crystal deserved it for being so cute.

She put the pen back in her pocket and then leaned down grabbing each of them for a moment before sighing.

She was going to have to take them down one at a time, and that was going to be a hassall, especially considering how hard it was to make sure that they didn’t wake up in the first place.

But it was worth it.


	17. Hours Before

**Team JARR**

Aella: Jin, where’d you go?

Jin: Out.

Aella: Well duh! Where?

Romy: And why? You don’t have a social life.

Romelle: Do you always have to insult people?

Romy: Yes, what’s your problem?

Jin: I’m out with Saffron.

Aella: Again?

Jin: Yeah, I missed her when she was training last semester.

Aella: Well, you missed something ELSE while you were gone.

-

**Gen Gremlin**

Aella: Auburn fell down the stairs!

Rosemary: Again? How many times is that?

Zohra: They’ve texted about it at least twenty times this break, so I assume that, by a liberal estimate, this is time number one hundred.

Raelynn: You underestimate him.

Lavey: For once, I agree with Raelynn.

Adolpha: I see it happen at least twice a day, and I don’t even watch him.

Colby: Damn, he is clumsy.

Saffron: For once, my brother’s right.

Jin: Is this what you said I missed?

Aella: No, no, it gets better.

Akio: This time, he just kept rolling.

Crystal: Yeah, he rolled all the way into the kitchen this time.

Mavros: How does this keep happening?!

Cooper: I don’t know, he’s just got… a talent.

Romy: That’s an understatement.

Braelyn: Did you get this one recorded?

Aella: Nah, I was laughing too much.

Arlen: Can’t blame you, it’s pretty funny.

Cassandra: Damn why are you guys blowing up my scroll?

Ilesha: Apparently Auburn fell again.

Bentley: And this is a surprise because?

Abdera: It really isn’t.

Romelle: Not in the slightest.

Barrie: Can you idiots shut up for five minutes? We all get that Auburn fell again, it’s a daily occurrence.

Auburn: You guys are so mean.

Clover: Yeah, lay off him, guys.

Romy: Since when were you on Auburn’s side?

Colby: Yeah.

Clover: Since always! You guys are always so mean to him.

Aella: Hey, chill out, it was just a joke.

Clover: It’s always ‘just a joke.’

-

**Raelynn and Braelyn**

Raelynn: When did THAT happen?

Braelyn: I was thinking the same thing!

Raelynn: I assumed, you always are. Too much like your mother.

Braelyn: Which one?

Raelynn: You know which one, little Ivy.

Braelyn: :P

Raelynn: But seriously, you owe me fifty Lien.

Braelyn: We’re not SURE yet, calm down.

Raelynn: You WILL owe me fifty Lien, mark my words.

-

**Zohra and Ilesha**

Ilesha: Oh my Dust! Did I tell you about my date with Lavey and Crystal? It was AMAZING!

Zohra: I know. You told me. Multiple times.

Ilesha: I know, but it was AWESOME!

Zohra: You said that. So many times. Your date was THREE DAYS AGO!

Ilesha: And it’s STILL awesome to think about! Did I tell you that they fell asleep on me? It was SO CUTE!

Zohra: Whatever, brag away. I still stand by the fact that I’ll have more girlfriends than you.

Ilesha: Are you still talking about that?

Zohra: Yes!

Ilesha: You’ve been saying this for years, but I have two and you have none.

Zohra: The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Ilesha: Are you quoting Aunt Ivy again?

Zohra: She’s not the only person to have ever said that, you know!

Ilesha: But she says it so much!

Zohra: Does she? She makes the Icarus reference more.

Ilesha: Doesn’t matter. Point is, I have great girlfriends, and you’re just jealous.

Zohra: I don’t want your gremlins.

Ilesha: Good!

-

**Ilesha, Akio, and Jin**

Akio: Hey, guys, just wanted to say thanks for setting everything up for me, you guys are the best.

Jin: No problem.

Ilesha: Yeah, it was pretty easy! Good luck, Kio!

-

**Team LAAC**

Lavey: Alright, is everything ready for tonight?

Crystal: Everything on my part is.

Adolpha: Yup!

Auburn: Yeah.

Lavey: Great! They aren’t going to know what hit ‘em!


	18. The Beginning

Lavey looked around the room with a small, smug look on her face. She fumbled for her pocket before she pulled out a remote. She hit the button, and suddenly, the traps fell from the ceiling, dangling over the entrance ways to different rooms.

Adolpha grinned behind her, crossing her arms against her chest and looking on with a smug glint to her eyes.

The mistletoe hung from the ceiling around her, and Crystal looked excited for once.

“Yeah, there’s no way she’s getting past this,” Crystal said smugly.

“Definitely not,” Lavey replied.

Just then, she heard the door swing open.

Lavey turned to see who was entering with wide eyes.

At the door stood Saffron and Jin, who were both walking in, laughing at something that Lavey didn’t know.

They both stopped when they saw something hanging just a little bit above their heads.

Jin’s eyes widened before they darted around the room, landing on Lavey. Her gaze narrowed and she growled lowly.

“Lavey, what did you do?” she asked.

Lavey’s eyes widened and she took a step backward. After a moment, she forced a smirk.

“Just exactly what I planned,” Lavey said, crossing her arms smugly, trying to pretend that these traps had  **not** been planned for entirely different people.

“Why you little-”

Saffron leaned over, grabbing Jin’s face in her hand, and pulled her closer.

Saffron placed a gentle kiss on Jin’s cheek before she pulled back, smirking just a bit.

Jin hesitated, glancing over at her friend with shock.

“W-w-”

“Go get that gremlin for me,” Saffron said, tilting her red-tinted sunglasses up and offering her a wink.

Lavey had already leapt into the ventilation system, turning off the mistletoe and letting them sink into the ceiling.

“R-right,” Jin said, turning away from Saffron and hurrying toward the vents.

“IT HAPPENED!” Meriah screamed in excitement. “IT HAPPENED!”

Jin stumbled as she went to the vents, almost falling over as she glanced at Meriah, eyes wide.

“What finally happened, Merrie?” Saffron asked, already bending down to one knee and holding out her arms.

Meriah took off at a sprint and threw herself into Saffron’s arms.

Saffron laughed and lifted to her feet, twirling in a circle as the child giggled.

“You’re finally dating one of my siblings!” Meriah cried.

Saffron stopped for a moment before she laughed, rolling her eyes.

“Not quite yet, Merrie,” Saffron said, ruffling her hair a bit with one hand.

“So you’re planning to?!” Meriah asked, squeezing Saffron tighter.

“Well I have to if I’m going to have you as my little sister officially, right?” Saffron asked, bouncing up and down a bit with the young girl in her arms.

Meriah grinned, nodding enthusiastically.

“Mer, stop trying to set us up with Saffron, it’s not going to work,” Akio said with an eye roll.

“It will work one day!” Meriah insisted.

“No, it won’t!” Adolpha cried.

Meriah laughed as she was set down on the ground by Saffron.

“Come on! I want to show you around!” Meriah cried excitedly, grabbing Saffron by the hand and dragging her out of the room.

The door opened again, and two forms stepped inside, holding hands.

The first was Raelynn Nikos. She was short, like her mother Ilia, with tons of freckles littering her face. Her hair, which was tied up in a ponytail like both of her mothers, was a bright shade of red, like Pyrrha’s own. Her eyes were a bright shade of gray, and they looked excited as she walked into the house. On the top of her head, she had a pair of light red dhole ears.

Beside Raelynn, and holding her hand like always, was Braelyn Vine, who was about the same height as Raelynn. Braelyn’s eyes were a bright shade of blue that was a stark difference to her black, curly hair that hung down to about her chin. On her back, there was a pair of tiny elf owl wings that looked almost too small to keep her flying in the air, but they somehow managed to do so.

Braelyn pulled Raelynn into the house, grinning in excitement.

Their parents, all six of them, trailed inside behind them, bringing their other children, Clover, Cassandra, and Bentley, into the house.

Braelyn and Raelynn didn’t pay attention to them, though, to be fair, they rarely paid attention to anyone but each other when they were together.

Lavey saw the pair through the vents and grinned, pressing a button on her remote before she continued her hasty escape from Jin, who was still yelling at her from the entranceway that Lavey had used.

A piece of mistletoe appeared in the doorway above Raelynn and Braelyn just as they were about to step through it, and the pair stopped, glancing up.

Everyone in their friend group, both the older and the younger generation, liked the pair. It was like nobody could hate on them when they were together.

They’d been inseparable since they were seven.

Raelynn leaned closer and gave Braelyn a quick peck on the lips, smiling at her fondly as she walked into the kitchen, pulling her girlfriend behind her.

The two had started to date when they were seven.

_ / _

_ Raelynn was sitting down in the backyard behind the Vine household when Braelyn walked over to her. _

_ Braelyn tapped on her friend’s shoulder, and Raelynn looked up from the toy car that she had been playing with for the past few minutes. _

_ “Hi, Brae!” Raelynn said excitedly, grinning up at her. _

_ “You’re really pretty when you smile,” Braelyn said unabashedly. _

_ Raelynn giggled and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. _

_ “Thanks,” she said. _

_ “I wanted to ask you something.” _

_ “What?” Raelynn asked, tilting her head to the side slightly like she’d seen Braelyn do a few times. _

_ “You have to stand up first.” _

_ “Why?” _

_ “Cause that’s how they do it in all the shows and movies.” _

_ Raelynn pushed herself to her feet and Braelyn immediately sunk down to one knee. _

_ “What’s going on over there?” Natalie whispered. Ivy frowned a bit, watching her daughter with confusion. Ivy took a drink of her water. _

_ “Wait, do you not know what’s happening?” Rachel whispered. _

_ Ivy slowly shook her head. _

_ “Will you marry me?” Braelyn asked. _

_ “Shit, shit, shit,” Rachel muttered. _

_ Natalie sprinted toward their daughter at full speed. _

_ Ivy choked on her drink and the cup fell out of her hand and hit the ground, spilling everywhere as she coughed loudly into her hand. Rachel was too shocked to do anything. _

_ Natalie neared her daughter, but not fast enough. _

_ “Yes!” Raelynn cried in excitement. _

_ Braelyn grabbed her hand and slid a ring onto her finger. _

_ “Where did she get the ring from?!” Rachel cried. She suddenly glanced down and saw that her engagement ring was missing. _

_ “How did you not notice your ring was missing?!” Natalie screamed. _

_ “She’s my daughter, she’s sneaky!” Rachel hollered. _

_ Raelynn reached out and pulled Braelyn to her feet, leaning forward with her eyes closed. _

_ Natalie flying tackled her daughter to the ground, absorbing the blow with her prosthetic wings so that her daughter didn’t get hurt. _

_ Raelynn’s eyes widened in shock and she stared worriedly down at where Braelyn had disappeared to. _

_ Braelyn wiggled in her mother’s arms. _

_ “Mommmm!” she whined. “What are you doing?!” _

_ “You can’t get married, you’re seven!” Natalie cried, standing up and holding her daughter loosely, as if she was worried that Braelyn was going to sprint off and rejoin Raelynn. _

_ “So?! I want to be with Raelynn!” Braelyn whined again. _

_ “Then ask her to be your girlfriend!” Rachel snapped from where she stood. _

_ Natalie glared at her wife. _

_ “Why did you say that?” Ivy hissed. _

_ Braelyn pulled out of her mother’s arms and walked over to where Raelynn stood. _

_ “Will you be my girlfriend?” _

_ “Yes!” _

_ “Okay!” Braelyn beamed. “So  _ **_now_ ** _ will you marry me?” _

_ Raelynn nodded excitedly. _

_ “Yup!” _

_ “NO!” Natalie, Rachel, and Ivy yelled as one. _

_ “Why not?!” the two cried together. _

_ Natalie grabbed Braelyn again and hefted her into the air away from Raelynn. _

_ “Give me back my ring!” Rachel snapped. _

_ She hurried over to Raelynn, who held her hand close to her chest, not willing to let it go. _

_ “No! It’s my ring now!” _

_ “No it’s not!” Rachel howled. _

_ She tried to take the ring, but Raelynn started to cry, so Rachel backed off. _

_ Raelynn immediately stopped crying. _

_ Ivy, standing in the back, pulled out her scroll. _

_ “Yeah, can you come pick up your daughter?” Ivy glanced at her wife, who was failing to get her ring back. “And a ring.” _

_ There was noise on the other end. _

_ “Yes, a ring.” _

_ More speaking. _

_ “No, not a fancy one, just any type of ring. Hurry!” _

_ Ivy hung up and hurried over to where the two girls were still trying to get to one another. _

_ Braelyn squirmed in her mother’s arms, turning to lick Natalie’s hand. _

_ Natalie squealed and let her go, eyes wide in shock. _

_ Braelyn hit the ground and scrambled back to Raelynn like a deranged spider. _

_ “Rachel, this is your fault!” Natalie cried as she wiped her hand on her leg. _

_ “I know!” Rachel called, struggling to stop her daughter from getting to Raelynn, who had already raced around behind her back to join Braelyn. _

_ They grabbed one another’s hands before they took off at a sprint, Braelyn’s mothers racing after her. _

_ - _

_ Fifteen minutes later, a car pulled into the driveway, and people stepped out. _

_ Ilia knocked on the door. Nobody answered. She glanced around for a moment before she bent down suspiciously and gestured for her wife and husband to surround her so she wasn’t seen. _

_ Sun and Pyrrha stood behind their wife as she quickly picked the lock, kicking the door open. _

_ They hurried to the backyard to find that Natalie, Ivy, and Rachel were chasing after Braelyn and Raelynn, who were randomly taking off into flight, Braelyn struggling to keep the two of them from falling to the ground. _

_ “What’s going on?!” Ilia screamed. _

_ Ivy spun. _

_ “Do you have the ring?!” _

_ Ilia fumbled for her pocket before she pulled out a small sphere, which held a plastic ring inside of it. _

_ She tossed it at Ivy, who caught it without looking. _

_ “BRAE!” Ivy shouted. _

_ Her daughter glanced over. _

_ “Trade rings?” she asked, holding up the plastic sphere. _

_ Braelyn glanced at Raelynn, who gave her a small, almost shy smile. _

_ Braelyn reached out and grabbed the ring, which was far too large on Raelynn, and took it off of her new girlfriend’s finger. _

_ She took off at a sprint, ducking down to avoid a tackle from Rachel, and skidded to a stop in front of Ivy. _

_ She held out the ring, and the two switched quickly, watching one another worriedly as if they thought the other might cheat them out of the deal. _

_ Braelyn then raced back toward Raelynn, stepping on Rachel as she sprinted through the yard to make sure that Rachel couldn’t stand up. _

_ She stopped in front of Raelynn, dropping to one knee and holding out the new ring. _

_ Raelynn let it slide onto her finger, and the two shared a wide grin. _

_ “What the heck just happened?!” Ilia cried. _

_ “I think our children just got engaged,” Natalie said, shaking her head sufferingly. _

_ “They definitely did,” Rachel said, groaning as she pushed herself to her feet. _

_ “They got WHAT?!” Sun screamed. _

_ “Hey, moms, dad!” Raelynn cried. “Look what my wife got me!” _

_ “Your WHAT?!” Pyrrha yelled. _

_ Suffice it to say, their parents were suitably confused (and concerned). _

_ / _

Raelynn leaned closer to Braelyn, putting her head on her shoulder and smiling fondly at her.

With one hand, she played with the plastic ring on her finger.

Braelyn grinned at her and gave her a quick kiss on the head.

They might not  _ technically _ be married, but both were pretty sure they were going to be in just a few years.

They’d even tried to buy a house together once, but that was when they were far older and more mature, at the ripe old age of eight.


	19. Mistletoe

Raelynn glanced over at Braelyn, who raised an eyebrow at her.

Raelynn gestured with her head toward the mistletoe, causing Braelyn to glance toward it herself.

It was hanging from the ceiling in front of the nearest doorway, causing a trap for the next people to walk through.

Braelyn quietly whistled.

Raelynn smirked and nodded.

**‘Care to make a wager?’** Braelyn asked.

**‘You know I** **_always_ ** **want to,’** Raelynn replied, wrapping her arm around Braelyn’s shoulders.

**‘Got too much of your father in you, Lynn,’** Brealyn whistled.

They didn’t mind that everyone in the room was staring at them.

“When did they start doing that?” Coco whispered.

“I don’t know anymore,” Ilia said with a sigh, running a hand through her hair.

“Last week. They learned a whole new language together,” Rachel said.

“It was super cute,” Pyrrha said, watching their daughters with a fond smile.

**‘You love it,’** Raelynn whistled back, bumping her shoulder against her girlfriend’s.

**‘Yeah, yeah, but you’re going down,’** Braelyn replied.

**‘You still haven’t whistled me what we’re doing.’**

**‘I bet the next people under there are Adolpha and the twin,’** Braelyn whistled.

**‘Yeah, sure,’** Raelynn replied, rolling her eyes.

-

Adolpha wasn’t paying attention to anything around her, instead chatting with Rosemary, who was looking around the room with a slightly considering look on her face.

Rosemary suddenly stood up straighter and considered.

“I’m going to go get some food,” Rosemary said.

“Okay, bring me back some chips,” Adolpha said, smiling at her as she left.

Adolpha turned around when she heard a mechanical whir above her head. She glanced up, eyes going wide when she saw the mistletoe above her head.

She was about to step out from underneath it, but another form started to walk into the room.

“Hey, Romelle,” Adolpha said, smiling down at the twin.

Romelle jumped in shock, eyes darting to Adolpha for a long moment before she stared at the mistletoe.

“Oh, hey, Adolpha,” Romelle said gently, taking a small step backward. “You know, we don’t have to do this, right?”

“Yes you do!” Lavey called from the vents as she crawled past, probably trying to find someone in particular. It wasn’t hard to figure out who.

“Oh, it’s alright, Romelle,” Adolpha said with a small smile, leaning down and cupping Romelle’s head in her hand. Adolpha closed her eyes and placed a gentle kiss on top of her head before she pulled away. Adolpha opened her eyes and smiled down at Romelle. “See you later, Romelle.”

“Yeah, later.”

-

Rosemary walked into the kitchen, though she bumped into someone.

She looked up with a small, surprised expression.

“Akio, what a surprise,” she said, glancing up at the mistletoe above her head.

Akio followed her gaze, and his eyes widened.

“Oh, uh…”

Rosemary rolled her eyes.

“It’s just a stupid tradition, Kio, calm down,” Rosemary said, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his cheek before she walked past him into the kitchen.

-

**‘Pay up, bitch,’** Braelyn whistled, gesturing over at where Adolpha and Romelle had been standing a few moments ago.

**‘Fine!’** Raelynn replied with a small sigh.

Braelyn smirked and leaned closer, pressing her lips against Raelynn’s and wrapping her arm around her waist.

“Can you two knock it off?!” Ilia growled.

“Aw, come on, you know they’re cute, babe,” Pyrrha said, elbowing her wife gently.

“Yeah, they’re pretty awesome together. They’re like a power couple. Like us, or Winter and Penny, or Neo and Ciel, or Alea and Ivy. You know, great couples that can do anything together,” Sun said.

“They’re not a couple,” Natalie growled.

“Aw, did Neo and Ciel break up?” Sun asked. “They were so sweet together.”

Natalie swatted his arm.

“I can’t believe we’re going to be in-laws,” Natalie growled.

Sun gave her a wink and a grin before he turned back to the party, causing Natalie to roll her eyes.

“It’ll be fine,” Rachel said with an eye roll, leaning against her wife and putting her head on her shoulder. “Besides, look at how happy Brae is.”

“Is it worth all of the suffering?” Natalie questioned.

“They seem pretty good together,” Ivy said.

“I meant  _ our _ suffering,” Natalie growled, turning her attention away from where her daughter and her girlfriend were sitting on the couch.

“Okay but seriously, get off her!” Ilia called. “Don’t make me get the spray bottle!”

“I thought we took that away from her,” Sun whispered.

“I tried, but she had more,” Pyrrha hissed.

“Where?!”

“I don’t know!”

-

Adolpha looked up when she heard the now familiar mechanical whirring sound above her head.

“You’ve  _ gotta _ be kidding me,” Adolpha muttered when the mistletoe appeared.

How had she fallen for it again? She didn’t know that there was mistletoe here! Damnit, Lavey!

Before she could escape, another figure tried to walk past, almost bumping into Adolpha.

“Oh!” Adolpha hoped her voice wasn’t too much higher than it usually was. “Uh, h-hey, Romy,” she said.

Adolpha laughed awkwardly, glancing up at the mistletoe that hovered above the two of them.

“W-what a coincidence, ya know?” Adolpha said, glancing up.

Romy followed her gaze.

“Not exactly a coincidence, considering your sister keeps trying to get certain people to make out.”

Adolpha flushed a darker shade of red.

“Oh, yeah, sure, uh, has a habit of doing that.”

“Let’s just get this over with,” Romy said.

Adolpha tried not to let the words dampen her spirits.

“R-right.”

Romy grabbed Adolpha behind the neck and started to pull her down quickly.

Adolpha felt her eyes flutter shut. She’d imagined this exact situation in her mind so many times, and now-

The familiar mechanical whirring sounded above her, and Romy froze before she could kiss Adolpha, eyes flashing up to see the mistletoe disappear, Lavey evidently having withdrawn it with a click of a button.

“Oh, well, looks like we were saved by the buzzer,” Romy said, withdrawing.

Adolpha’s eyes slowly opened again, and she watched Romy walk away.

Adolpha took a moment to realize what had happened before she sighed and felt her face flush red.

-

Rosemary was making her way back out of the kitchen with the chips Adolpha had asked her to grab, stopping when another figure appeared in the doorway.

Clover let out a sound of shock as his head hit the mistletoe that hung above him.

“Oh! Sorry, Rosey,” Clover said, ducking down so that he could avoid the mistletoe.

“Your big head alright?” Rosemary asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Hehe, yeah, ya know, thick skull and all…”

Rosemary rolled her eyes fondly.

“Now come down here, ya big oaf.”

Clover laughed and ducked, Rosemary wrapping an arm around his neck before planting a kiss on his cheek.

“Now move, I need to get by.”

Clover laughed quietly.

“Right, right.”

He stepped to the side, almost hitting his head, and Rosemary squeezed past him.

Rosemary walked into the living room and tossed some chips at Adolpha.

She jumped just in time to turn and catch them, which was a surprise, considering Rosemary had been pretty sure before she threw the bag, which meant that Adolpha had probably been expecting it.

That meant Adolpha had to be very distracted.

“You alright?” Rosemary asked, raising an eyebrow.

“What? Oh, yeah! Right!”

Rosemary considered for a moment before she shrugged and leaned back against the wall beside Adolpha.

She supposed her friend probably needed a minute.

-

Lavey pressed the button on her remote and smirked as she saw her girlfriend walk into the room.

Crystal perked up, having been waiting for this opportunity all night.

She took a deep breath before she started to make her way toward Ilesha.

Lavey smiled for a moment at her sister, happy that her sister would get the chance to kiss Ilesha.

Crystal was almost there, but another figure appeared by the doorway.

“Hey, Ilesha,” Jin said softly, “mind letting me by?”

Ilesha raised an eyebrow and smirked, pointing up at the mistletoe that hung above them.

“Can’t. You know, Christmas rules,” Ilesha said, smirking at her friend and eyeing her.

“Right,” Jin drawled, staring down at her with a slightly considering look on her face. “Looks like you’re just looking for an excuse.”

Ilesha smirked and leaned a bit closer, putting one hand on Jin’s arm.

Crystal stood behind Jin, her eyes wide with disbelief as she watched her girlfriend flirt with  _ another _ one of her sisters. This was not happening. This was  **not** happening.

Lavey, on the other hand, was muttering “abort!” under her breath and repeatedly pressing the button on her remote to remove the mistletoe above her girlfriend and sister.

When the mistletoe had disappeared, neither seemed to notice nor care.

“And if I am?” Ilesha asked.

“I’d have to say that would be rather rude in front of both of your girlfriends.”

Ilesha giggled and leaned even closer, placing a kiss right on Jin’s face, lingering for a moment before she pulled away.

Lavey and Crystal were both gaping in shock while Jin and Ilesha smirked at one another.

“Thanks,” Ilesha called over her shoulder, sending Jin a wink as she walked past.

Jin continued her trek through the living room. She hesitated beside Crystal and smirked at her.

“You’re welcome.”

Crystal gaped as her sister walked past.

Suddenly, a head poked into the room, revealing Ilesha, who was grinning like a fool.

“Hey, Stally! I need to borrow you for a second.”

Crystal nodded mutely before she stepped out of the room, starting to follow Ilesha to where she was going-

Ilesha grabbed her with one hand on her face, leaning down and connecting their lips.

Inside the vents, Lavey made a sound of shock before she tumbled out of the ventilation, not realizing one of the doors was nearby.

Lavey was sprawled out on the ground, staring up at her sister and girlfriend with wide eyes.

Ilesha slowly pulled away from Crystal before she looked down at Lavey, who was still in a heap beside them.

“Don’t try to trick me again,” Ilesha said. “If you want a kiss, you definitely don’t need mistletoe to get it.”

Lavey rolled over on the ground and hopped to her feet, grabbing Ilesha’s hand in her own.

“I want mistletoe effects without mistletoe,” Lavey said quickly.

Ilesha giggled.

“Dork.”

Lavey gasped in offense, about to say something against what Ilesha had said, but Ilesha distracted her.

To be fair, it was a  _ very _ good distraction. She didn’t notice that she had hit a few buttons on her remote.

-

Zohra Ajax stretched a bit by the door. She was short, about Lavey’s height, with bright blue eyes that contradicted her darker skin tone. Her hair was dark, the color of midnight, with medium length hair that came down a little past her shoulders. She was a little bit younger than Ilesha, though just by two months, and she was still more than a little petty that her sister had been able to skip ahead.

Zohra was leaning against the wall when she saw that the mistletoe had fallen from the ceiling.

She raised an eyebrow, glancing around to see the reason that Lavey had dropped the mistletoe. There was always a reason… she considered for a moment before she let a slow smirk grow across her lips.

A form appeared in front of the mistletoe, and Zohra slid over to the side, almost as if she was flowing over, and appeared in front of her target.

Aella stopped short when she almost bumped into Zohra, her eyes going wide.

“H-hey, Zo, what’s up?” Aella asked, looking around as if she was trying to pass around her friend.

Zohra smirked and slowly raised one hand into the air, pointing up at the mistletoe that hung above their heads.

“Looks like you’re trapped here,” Zohra leaned closer, smirking up at Aella, “with me.”

Aella laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck.

“R-right… not a problem, we can just-”

Zohra leaned closer, putting one hand on Aella’s face and pulling her down a bit.

Aella laughed nervously and took one step backward, but her back hit the doorframe.

Zohra smirked and brought their lips within a centimeter of one another.

“Definitely not a problem,” she whispered.

Aella’s eyes had closed, and Zohra took that as all the invitation that she needed.

-

Raelynn and Braelyn were standing hand in hand by the wall, leaning against it. Braelyn’s head was set against Raelynn’s shoulder, and the two were both whistling quietly to one another with smirks.

Abdera was standing a few feet away, looking around the room disinterestedly. She was tall, though not quite Ilesha’s height, with dirty blond hair that was done up in a tight braid that hung down almost to her waist. Her eyes were a bright pink, and she was analyzing the room. Despite her appearance, and her fathers’ wishes, she was far more like Nora in personality than either of her fathers.

She sighed and started to walk out of the room, a small skip to her step. She didn’t seem to care about anything in the room.

Suddenly, there was a form blocking her way.

Abdera bumped into Raelynn and let out a sound of shock, steadying Raelynn before either of them could fall over.

“Sorry, Rae,” she said, starting to let go, but Raelynn reached up and grabbed her jacket to steady herself.

A smirk grew across Raelynn’s lips and she glanced over at Braelyn, who was scowling, arms crossed.

“See that, Brae? Someone’s just swept me off of my feet.”

Braelyn raised an eyebrow.

“I can see that. And it looks like you owe her something in return.”

Braelyn pointed above their heads with a slightly sour expression, the mistletoe hanging above both of their heads.

Abdera’s eyes widened comically, and her gaze shot to Braelyn.

“Don’t worry, Brae, I’m not going to kiss your gi-”

Raelynn reached one hand up and put her finger against Abdera’s lips.

“Don’t say something you might regret later,” Raelynn said.

Abdera laughed nervously, glancing at the glaring Braelyn.

Suddenly, Raelynn leaned up and looped one arm around Abdera’s neck, pulling her down.

She connected their lips quickly, running her hand down Abdera’s neck.

When they finally separated, Abdera’s eyes widened and she let go of where she had been holding Raelynn, causing her to fall toward the ground.

Braelyn shot forward and caught her girlfriend just before she could hit the floor, glancing up at Abdera with a raised eyebrow.

“Thought you were supposed to be sweeping her off of her feet, but you made her fall for you,” Braelyn said, picking her girlfriend up and setting her down.

There was a mechanical whirring, and the mistletoe disappeared above them.

Abdera laughed nervously and took a step back, hitting the doorframe.

“Uh, right, haha! I’m just gonna…”

Abdera didn’t finish her statement and took off at a sprint, hitting Auburn on the way.

Auburn tumbled backward and hit the couch, landing in Clover’s lap.

Auburn stared up at his friend and let out an awkward laugh.

“Sorry about that.”

Clover steadied him and smiled down at him.

“It’s alright, Aub. Just glad you didn’t hit the ground again,” he said, giving him a goofy smile.

-

“What… what just happened?” Weiss whispered.

“What are you talking about?” Ruby asked, leaning closer to her wife and eyeing her worriedly.

“Our children. Their children,” she gestured at the people around them, “ **all** the children! Something is going wrong!”

“Wrong? What’s going ‘wrong?’” Blake asked.

“A lot!” Weiss cried.

“Like?” Yang encouraged.

“That!” Weiss gestured at Adolpha, who was slumped on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. “And that!” she gestured at Abdera, who was slumped on the ground not looking at anything. “And… well, all of them!”

To be fair, she had a point.


	20. The Photo

“Everyone get into the living room,” Ruby called.

“Rubes, you’re not loud enough,” Yang whispered. “Everyone in the living room!” she yelled.

A few people started to do as they were told, but most of them weren’t cowed, and many were still milling about.

“Mom, how about you let me take care of this one?” Jin suggested, patting Yang on the shoulder gently.

Yang considered before she shrugged, gesturing at her daughter to do as she had said.

“Hey, Saff, how about you take Merrie into the living room… and cover her ears?” Jin said.

Saffron smirked and grabbed Meriah, covering her ears.

“Did I ever tell you I love the confident you  _ way _ more than the old you?” Saffron asked.

“Maybe once or twice,” Jin replied.

Saffron walked into the living room to make sure that Meriah didn’t hear whatever Jin said next.

“Hey!” Jin’s shout was loud enough that everyone in the room jumped, their gazes shooting to her. “Assholes! Get into the living room like my mom said! We have a Christmas group photo to take, so move it or lose it! And by ‘lose it,’ I mean a limb, so move!”

Several people scrambled toward the living room, and Lavey popped out of the vent, falling in front of Ilesha and grabbing her hand as they hurried to the living room.

“Did that really just work?” Yang whispered.

“I think so,” Ruby replied.

“This is horrifying,” Weiss hissed.

“Yet weirdly impressive,” Blake said, nodding.

“But mostly terrifying,” Yang said.

Ruby nodded in agreement.

Team RWBY walked into the living room after everyone else had done so, Blake setting up the tripod and getting the timer ready.

On the far left was Adolpha, who stood in the back row behind Romelle, on the outside, and Romy on the inside. Behind Romy was Jin, who didn’t seem to notice the twin at all, and she was perched beside Saffron, who was whispering into Jin’s ear something that made the team leader snicker. Beside Saffron was Rosemary, who was leaning against Akio’s side for the photo. To the side in front of Akio was Colby, who was leaning back against Clover, who was grinning from ear to ear as he laughed at something Auburn had said. To the side was Lavey, who was leaning back against Ilesha, Crystal at her side. They both looked smug as they looked back at their girlfriend.

Aella was situated beside Crystal, Zohra at her other side. Behind them was Abdera, who had her long arms wrapped around both of them and the two people to Zohra’s side. Abdera looked far too hesitant to put her hand on Braelyn’s shoulder, but Raelynn just smirked and leaned closer to her girlfriend.

Beside Raelynn was Cassandra, who had her arm set on top of Bentley’s shoulder, Barrie leaning against his side with Arlen leaning on his other.

At the far right side was Mavros, who had an arm on Cooper’s shoulder.

In the very middle was Meriah, who had on a brilliantly blinding grin as she looked at the camera.

The parents situated themselves behind their kids, some, like Nora and Stacey, who had to climb on top of their partners to be seen. Yang had Weiss on top of her shoulders, holding her legs, and Ruby was being held bridal style by Blake, who didn’t seem to stop herself from laughing as she looked around at their large, insane, and far too extended family. She had a brief, horrible thought, that maybe, one day, they would all  _ legally _ be family, considering some of the things she had seen that night… but she decided to think about something else.

The picture didn’t exactly go right the first time. Or the second time, nor the third.

“Raelynn, Braelyn, can you keep your hands and your lips off of each other for five seconds?!” Ilia hissed.

“Saffron, stop making Jin laugh!” Coco called.

“Adolpha, look at the camera!” Weiss snapped.

“Abdera, put your hand back on Braelyn’s shoulder!” Rachel chided.

“Romy, stop looking at your nails,” Ciel growled.

“Mavros, stop distracting Cooper!” Winter snapped.

“Akio, pay attention!” Blake cried.

“Lavey and Crystal, look at the camera, not the girlfriend!” Yang called.

“Zohra, give Aella some space!” Stacey said, reaching down from Terresa’s arms to smack her daughter in the back of the head.

“Romelle, what are you doing?!” Ciel translated for Neo.

“Auburn, stop making Clover catch you!” Ruby chided.

“Clover, can you steady Auburn to make sure he doesn’t fall?” Pyrrha asked quietly, leaning down and trying to make sure that she didn’t drop Ilia.

So yeah, there were a lot of reshoots.

But they got there eventually!


	21. Karaoke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpDLpz88V-I  
> This one is just... HILARIOUS, and it's from the original musical that this song was in, so please just listen and watch it because it's 100% Ilesha and Akio.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy9UsKiYqoc  
> I highly recommend you listen to this one because it's important that it's a cover!!

“Are we really going first?” Mavros asked, trying to sound frustrated.

Ilesha rolled her eyes.

“Come on, it’s just one song, Mavvy!” Ilesha said, tugging him toward the front of the room.

“I hate karaoke,” he muttered.

“No you don’t!” Ilesha said in a sing-song voice.

Cooper giggled.

“She’s got you there!”

Ilesha hurried up to the front, where the karaoke machine was sitting. She typed in something and then turned with a smirk.

“Are we really doing this?” Akio asked, raising one eyebrow as he watched Ilesha. His gaze flickered to the crowd in front of them.

“Oh most definitely. And I  _ know _ you’re excited to show off,” Ilesha moved closer, putting one hand on his shoulder and whispering in his ear, “especially to one  _ very _ pretty lady.”

Akio flushed and shoved her away from him, trying not to look at the crowd.

“No idea what you’re talking about,” Akio denied, taking his spot beside his teammates.

Ilesha hurried over to Crystal and Lavey, giving them a charming smile. She reached behind Crystal’s ear and then pulled her hand back, revealing a hat that hadn’t been there a moment before, nor in her hand.

The music started up, and Ilesha turned to face Akio, putting one hand against his chest while the other reached up to drop the hat on his head. Mavros and Cooper were both in the back, singing backup.

“I really can't stay,” Akio sang, walking back out of the room.

“Baby it's cold outside,” Ilesha sang back, stepping toward him as he started to pull back.

Akio hesitated, staring back at her as if considering.

“I gotta go away,” Akio sang, shaking his head.

“Baby it's cold outside,” Ilesha replied, continuing her approach toward him, grabbing his arm gently and turning him to face her.

“This evening has been,” Akio started to pull away.

“Been hoping that you'd dropped in,” Ilesha continued, swinging her arm and causing him to twirl in a circle, and lean against her chest. He blinked in surprise.

“So very nice,” Akio sang, her voice so breathless.

“I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice,” Ilesha sang, sliding her hands down subtly to grab his and move them to his waist.

“My mother will start to worry,” Akio sang, glancing to the side at where his mothers were watching him.

“Beautiful what's your hurry?” Ilesha sang, twirling herself around him and landing right in front of his chest, running one hand down it with a smirk.

“My father will be pacing the floor,” Akio sang, despite the snicker that Yang gave.

“Listen to the fireplace  **_roar_ ** ,” Ilesha sang, raising her eyebrows suggestively as she moved closer to him.

“So really I'd better scurry,” Akio sang, holding up his hands and pulling out of her grasp.

“Beautiful please don't hurry,” Ilesha continued, all but stalking after him.

“Well... maybe just a half a drink more,” Akio sang consideringly, glancing back at Ilesha for a moment.

“I'll put some records on while I pour,” Ilesha continued, spinning away from him with a smirk.

“The neighbors might think,” Akio sang, looking around at their friends and family as if nervous, eyes landing on one Faunus, who had her arms crossed against her chest as she scowled.

“Baby it's bad out there,” Ilesha sang, grabbing his hand and tugging him closer as she handed him the drink.

“Say what's in this drink?” Akio asked with a suspicious look down at his cup.

“No cabs to be had out there,” Ilesha sang lowly, smirking at him as he looked at her.

“I wish I knew how,” Akio sang.

“Your eyes are like starlight now,” Ilesha continued, leaning a bit closer so that their faces were  _ far _ too close for many people’s likings.

“To break this spell,” Akio sang, staring up in her eyes.

“I'll take your hat,” she reached up and grabbed his hat off of his head, “your hair looks swell,” Ilesha sang, ruffling his hair a bit with her hand and winking at him.

“OOPS!” Lavey said loudly, shoving Crystal gently.

Crystal fell back dramatically and hit the karaoke machine, causing it to slam against the ground and break in front of everyone.

Ilesha pulled away from Akio immediately.

“Sorry, guys, looks like no more karaoke tonight,” Crystal said, though she didn’t sound very convincing.

Lavey glared at her and tried to subtly kick her in the ankle.

Crystal leapt backward to avoid it.

“That’s okay!” Ilesha cried excitedly. “Cause we have another surprise!”

“We do?” Mavros asked.

Ilesha spun.

“Well… the band does. You two can hang back.”

“What?!” Mavros asked.

Cooper frowned in confusion.

“Yup! Come on, guys!” Ilesha called, hopping over to the front of the room and grinning like an idiot.

Akio rolled his eyes and followed after her to the front, stopping at her side.

A moment later, four more forms appeared out of the crowd.

“Heck yeah!” Saffron cried as she headed toward the rest of the band. She reached over her shoulder to grab her case, taking her bass guitar out and strumming experimentally. She smirked.

“Finally,” Rosemary agreed, hurrying over to the corner and grabbing her instrument, a keyboard.

Zohra grabbed Arlen by the collar of his shirt and dragged her brother up to the front of the room.

Zohra pulled her weapon out of its sheath behind her back and took her spot beside Saffron, strumming on her guitar strings with a smirk.

Arlen grabbed his instrument from the other room, setting up his drums quickly.

Arlen beat the drum sticks together a few times, calling out, “one, two, three, four!”

The music started up, and everyone started to wonder what they were playing. What kind of Christmas song used these instruments?

“I don't want a lot for Christmas,” Ilesha sang, Rosemary backing her up with the keyboard. Ilesha’s voice somehow deeper and angrier than usual. Everyone watched in confusion.

“There is just one thing I need,” Akio sang, his voice sounding just as raspy as his co-singer.

“I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree,” the two sang together slowly, smiling into the crowd as they stared at different women.

“I just want you for my own,” Ilesha reached her hand out toward Crystal and Lavey, winking at them.

“More than you could ever know,” Akio continued, glancing back behind him and flushing just a bit before he focused ahead of him at the people who were sitting on the edge of their seats, clearly waiting for the rest of their band members to play.

“Make my wish come true, ooh… All I want for Christmas is you…”

The music suddenly picked up aggressively, the guitar and bass joining in alongside the drums, causing the house to rock and creak under them.

“I don't want a lot for Christmas!” Akio and Ilesha yelled together.

“There is just one thing I need, and I… don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree!” Ilesha winked at her girlfriends as she bounced up and down on the tips of her toes excitedly.

“I don't need to hang my stocking,” Akio swayed back as he sang and bumped into Rosemary, who shifted her keyboard in front of her so he didn’t hit it when he moved back further, “there upon the fireplace!”

“Santa Claus won't make me happy,” Adolpha took a deep breath, gathering up the courage to reach her hand out and put it on Romy’s shoulder. Romy leaned closer and almost brushed her side, “With a toy on Christmas day.”

Adolpha beamed in excitement, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves.

“I just want you for my own,” Romelle leaned back against the wall, eyes locked on the band, “more than you could ever know! Make my wish come true…”

“All I want for Christmas is you!” Zohra smirked as she played her guitar, watching Aella as she grinned and danced to the music.

“I won't ask for much this Christmas,” Raelynn wrapped her arms around Braelyn’s shoulders and leaned closer, smirking at her and starting to giggle. Braelyn moved closer and put her hands on Raelynn’s hips, pulling her the small distance between them and connecting their lips.

“I won't even wish for snow, and I… I just wanna keep on waiting underneath the mistletoe,” Abdera let her head bob to the song as she glanced around the room, looking for something to focus on.

“I won't make a list and send it, to the North Pole for Saint Nick,” Meriah laughed and leaned against Yang, wrapping her little arm around her mother. “I won't even stay awake to hear those magic reindeer click!”

“'Cause I just want you here tonight, holding on to me so tight!” Mavros huffed as he watched Akio and Ilesha sing at the front of the room, and he looked away with frustration. Cooper reached out and wrapped his arm around Mavros’ gently, putting his head on his shoulder. “What more can I do?”

“Oh, Baby all I want for Christmas is you!” Rosemary locked eyes with Clover and gave him a smirk as they continued the song.

“All the lights are shining so brightly everywhere!” Ilesha glanced to the side to lock eyes with Jin, who glanced back at her with a slightly shy smile.

“And the sound of children's laughter fills the air!” Meriah was giggling as she swayed to the music, glancing up at Weiss as she set her hand on top of Meriah’s arm.

“And everyone is singing, I hear those sleigh bells ringing!” the rock music continued to fill the house, causing Adolpha’s ears to twitch, though she didn’t let it distract her from where Romy was leaning against her side.

“Santa won't you bring me the one I really need, won't you please bring my baby to me quickly!” Jin glanced over at Saffron, who was smirking back at her with a raised eyebrow.

“I don't want a lot for Christmas, this is all I'm asking for,” Colby was leaning against the wall, trying to look disinterested, but his gaze was not on the band.

“I just wanna see my baby, standing right outside my door,” Auburn hummed along, his gaze landing on the most enthusiastic supporter of the band, Clover, who was cheering enthusiastically.

“I just want you for my own, more than you could ever know,” Rosemary was playing the keyboard, and she glanced up just in time to see that Auburn was staring at her. She grinned and sent a wink his way with a small smirk.

“Make my wish come true… Baby all I want for Christmas is you!” Ilesha gave both of her girlfriends wide grins as she finished the line, letting out a quiet giggle before she leaned against Akio. “All I want for Christmas is you, baby!”

The music came to a stop, and Ilesha grinned and leaned forward.

“That was the Ajax and Adel band, the Adax family band!” Ilesha cried.

There was loud, enthusiastic cheering from the group.

“Wait, that’s what we’re called?” Akio asked, having to yell over the cheering of his friends and family. “But I’m not an Adax!”

Ilesha smirked and wrapped an arm around his shoulder and leaned closer.

“Not yet you aren’t,” Ilesha said.

Crystal and Lavey both scowled, hurrying forward to put themselves closer to their girlfriend.

Lavey tried to subtly put herself under Ilesha’s arm and disconnect it from around Akio. Meanwhile, Crystal curled up at Ilesha’s side.

Rosemary rolled her eyes at the pair before she reached out and grabbed Akio by the hand, tugging him away from the three and toward where the people were cheering for them.

As the group cheered, Ruby looked around the room with a fond smile on her face.

Even if most of her children had changed, hopefully for the better, they were still the same people, and at least she could take some comfort in that.

She supposed that she, her wives, and (she guessed) her sister needed to reconnect with them.


	22. Reconciling

Jin was on her scroll at the moment, trying not to yell at Romy via messages, and then sighed, rolling her eyes and shoving her device back into her pocket in frustration.

She felt her Aura alert her that someone was staring at her, and she glanced up to find that Yang was peeking out from behind the doorway. Yang’s eyes widened and she tried to duck back to avoid suspicion.

Jin stared incredulously for a moment before she snickered, shaking her head.

“Mom, either come in here or leave, don’t linger!” Jin called.

Yang jumped and then looked back into the room, hurrying forward into the room and standing awkwardly in front of her daughter, shifting from foot to foot nervously.

“Right… right, yeah, I just wanted to…”

“Ask me what’s wrong with me?” Jin offered with a raised eyebrow.

Yang rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

“R-right…”

“Just come out and ask it, mom,” Jin said, frustrated with her parents trying to dance around the questions they had for each of their children.

Yang hesitated and considered for a moment before she sighed and slumped into the seat across from Jin.

“When did you get so mean?! And why?!” Yang asked, running one hand through her hair in frustration.

Jin sat up quickly and stared at her mother with wide eyes.

“What?! I-I’m not mean!” Jin cried.

Yang’s eyes widened, and she leaned forward when she saw the hesitation in her daughter’s eyes. Finally, something other than ambivalence and frustration from Jin!

“I mean… you’ve kind of been mean.”

“No I haven’t!”

“Then what is it?” Yang asked. “Because all I’ve seen is you trying to control your siblings and helicopter team leader your teammates.”

Jin crumpled and leaned back on the couch.

“I… may be a bit controlling, but I’m just… I’m just trying to be the best team leader I can be. I mean, this is all new to me, and my teammates are all little gremlins that I can’t keep under control. And this is the only way they listen to me, and it works, right? So why should I care if it makes me a little mean?” Jin asked, a small, defensive glare on her face.

Yang sighed and reached her hand out, putting it on Jin’s knee.

“You don’t have to be mean to be a team leader, and… I shouldn’t have said that you were mean, because you’re not. You’re just a little… defensive, and that’s alright. I know that your teammates hurt you, so you have every right to be defensive. But you… you need to show that part of yourself that we all fell in love with, that sweet little girl that used to cry every time they saw a bug die on the windshield.”

Jin laughed and wiped at her eyes.

“You shouldn’t be surprised that I built a wall around myself. You had a child with Blake and Weiss,” Jin smirked and bumped her shoulder against Yang’s. “There was a two in three chance that I would.”

Yang started to laugh and then her eyes widened dramatically.

“Oh Dust.”

-

Blake took a seat beside Akio, glancing at him and sending a small smile his way.

“Hey, Kio,” she said awkwardly.

He looked up from his scroll and flushed just a bit, shoving his scroll into his pocket.

“Hey, mom. What’s… what’s up?”

“Just… wanted to check in on you, see if everything was okay.”

“Uh… yeah.”

“Are you lying?” Blake asked, leaning a bit closer.

Akio raised an eyebrow.

“Obviously.”

“What’s wrong?” Blake insisted.

Akio considered for a long moment before he sighed, leaning back in his seat.

“I just…,” his eyes lit up as he saw Weiss walk past the doorway. “Actually… can you teach me something?”

“Anything,” Blake said. “Or, well, anything except White Fang stuff.”

Weiss hesitated as she walked by, glancing back and frowning in confusion.

Blake waved her off.

“Can you teach me how to flirt?” Akio asked.

Blake’s ears perked up and she smiled in excitement.

“Yes! Of course I can do that!”

She looked over to the doorway where Weiss had been standing, and she frowned as she found that her wife had left.

“Where’d she go?” Blake muttered to herself. “Weiss, Angel, can you come in here for a minute?”

Weiss sighed in the hallway and poked her head into the room.

“Didn’t you just tell me to leave?!” Weiss hissed.

“Yeah, but I need your help now.”

Akio watched Blake as Weiss came into the room, huffing in annoyance as she took a seat.

“Now, watch and learn,” Blake said, leaning closer to her son before a smirk grew across her lips.

Fifteen minutes later, there was an undeniably flustered Weiss (who was blushing like mad, unable to stop herself), a smirking and completely smug Blake, and an Akio who had taken  _ several _ pages of notes.

-

Weiss stalked into the room. She had been chosen to speak with Lavey, to be nice to their daughter, but she knew exactly which bone to pick with them.

“What’d you do to Adolpha?!” Weiss snapped.

Lavey jumped where she sat, her mood changing immediately.

“What do you mean?!” Lavey cried.

Most of the time, she expected someone to be on the lookout for her, someone that would have a bone to pick with her, but this time she had been completely blindsided, laying on the couch, no gremlin plots being schemed, and texting her girlfriend, so she wasn’t sure what was going on with her and, apparently, Adolpha.

“What did you do to her?! She’s all… different!”

“You mean relaxed and calmed down because I basically did a speed run through her character development?” Lavey asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, because  _ you _ trying to speed run her through this,” Weiss used air quotes for her next few words, “‘character development,’ and now you’ve messed up, and you need to fix it next semester or so help me I’m going to make the rest of your life a living nightmare!”

Lavey cringed.

“She’s… she’s fine!” Lavey said.

“Then you haven’t noticed-”

Lavey sighed and shook her head.

“That she’s way too attentive and listens to everything I say?” Lavey asked quietly.

Weiss nodded with a knowing look on her face.

“Yeah, I uh… might need a little bit of help with that.”

-

Blake sat down beside Crystal quickly, her confidence fueled by her success with Akio from earlier.

“What do you want?” Crystal asked.

Blake glanced over at her, finding that Crystal wasn’t glaring, but instead looked a little nervous or even… excited?

Blake supposed that her daughter probably wanted to hear something from her mother.

“Just wanted to check in on you. Heard that you were upset about Lavey and Ilesha dating, so I wanted to see if you were feeling better.”

“I…,” Crystal hesitated. “I’m fine.”

“Are you?” Blake asked.

Crystal paused.

“I think so.”

Blake raised one eyebrow.

“I will be. I just…”

Blake reached out and put her hand on Crystal’s shoulder.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Crystal rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Blake smirked.

“Do you want to  **complain** about it?”

Crystal’s eyes lit up.

-

“I’m really happy you and Jin are close now. I always thought you two would be really cute if you finally teamed up,” Ruby said.

She had, unceremoniously, marched into the room and plopped down beside her daughter and started the conversation.

“Uh, yeah, I’m glad we’re closer now,” Aella said.

“It was very sweet of you to be a good teammate even though she’s your team leader.”

Aella flinched and winced a bit.

“Uh… not really, but thanks for thinking I’m that awesome,” Aella said.

Ruby frowned and tilted her head to the side slightly.

“What? What happened?” Ruby asked worriedly, leaning closer and putting a hand on her shoulder, pulling her daughter close.

Aella sighed and put her head on Ruby’s shoulder.

“I was a bitch.”

Ruby looked down at her daughter, seeming as if she was wondering if now was the right time to chide her daughter for her language, and she decided against doing it.

“How so?”

“I was rude, mean, and didn’t listen to a word she said. I  _ actively encouraged _ our teammates to disrespect her with me, and… when I wasn’t doing that, I was doing stupid stuff with them.”

Ruby pulled Aella closer.

“But you fixed it, right?”

Aella nodded sadly, pulling closer to her mother and burying her face in her cloak.

“Yeah.”

“How long ago?” Ruby asked.

“Beginning of the semester.”

Ruby stared down at her daughter in shock.

“The beginning of the semester?! That’s forever ago! Are you still carrying this baggage around?! You have to let that go, Aella, I mean, I figured that out a long time ago, and if you don’t, it’ll eventually drive you mad.”

Aella sniffled a little.

“Did she forgive you?”

“Yes.”

“Then you should forgive you too. Because you holding this against yourself just makes it harder for you two to really connect. This guilt that you feel? It’s a barrier between you that  _ you _ put up. Now you need to tear it down.”

Aella sniffled.

“Thanks, mom.”

-

“So your mother was wondering something,” Yang neglected to mention that Weiss had yelled this and had to be held back by Blake to make sure that she didn’t chase after Adolpha. And then Lavey. Or maybe Lavey and then Adolpha. Or both at once.

“And what’s that?” Adolpha asked, her ears perking up as she watched her mother. “And also which one?”

“Weiss wanted to know which you liked more. Being a team leader, or a team member.”

Adolpha laughed quietly, leaning back on the couch and relaxing a bit.

“Definitely a team member! This is  _ great _ ! Why didn’t Momma Ruby ever tell me that being a team leader was horrible? And why do Lavey and Jin like it so much. It lowered my self esteem and raised my blood pressure, so that wasn’t very good. I think I almost had a blood pressure problem when I was fifteen, so that’s a bad thing. Also, did you know that just  _ listening _ is  **way** better than yelling? Like, my throat doesn’t hurt all the time anymore, which is just… amazing!”

Yang laughed awkwardly.

“You know, that whole listening instead of telling thing is at least going to pay off with the ladies. Girls like listeners,” Yang said, knowing that she was going off the script that Weiss had given her (though that was going to upset her when she heard about it), but she didn’t know what to say now that Adolpha had just gone on a rant about how much happier she was now.

Adolpha grinned at the words, and Yang knew that her thoughts had gone to someone else entirely.

“You think?”

“Oh, I know. You think I made it anywhere in this marriage without just listening to Weiss complain and rant for hours at a time? All three of us had to get  _ real _ good at that!”

Adolpha grinned and leaned back, clearly satisfied with the conversation.

Yang didn’t think that Weiss would be quite as happy, but that was a problem for later, meaning… in about twenty minutes.

-

“Great! So, all the kids were taken care of. Parent of the year awards all around!” Yang cried, grinning as she flopped down onto the bed.

“What are you doing there?” Weiss asked, gesturing at Yang.

“Uh, getting ready for bed?”   
“You think you’re not sleeping on the couch tonight after what happened with Adolpha?” Weiss scoffed. “You’re delusional.”

Yang’s eyes widened and shot across the room worriedly.

She looked at Blake and she tried to get her wife’s help, but Blake seemed preoccupied by something else.

Ruby smirked.

“That’s right, Yang. Get out of here and leave me alone with our two beautiful wives. Chop chop, sleep on the couch tonight.”

Yang stared at her sister in disbelief.

“Rubes!”

“Blakey, back me up here,” Ruby said sweetly.

“Whatever you say,” Blake said, not looking up from her book.

“Blake!” Yang snapped.

Blake jumped.

“Hmm? Sorry, what?”

“Tell Weiss I don’t have to sleep on the couch tonight!” Yang whined.

Blake sighed, putting her book down and rolling her eyes.

“Of course you don’t have to sleep on the couch, now everyone give me fifteen minutes of silence to read and then we can sleep.”

“She loves those books more than she loves us,” Ruby muttered.

Blake rolled her eyes and tossed the book to the side.

“I never get time to read in this house. You’re all so needy!”

Ruby curled into Blake’s side as soon as she laid down.

“You know it.”

Blake tried to huff in frustration, but she smiled fondly when she thought that Ruby wasn’t looking.


	23. Runaways

Raelynn huffed and crossed her arms, starting to pout as she stared at her parents.

“You can’t keep me from her.”

“We can too!” Ilia snapped, leaning further against the table to glare at her daughter.

Pyrrha put a hand on her wife’s shoulder.

“She just means that you two need a little time apart, because this is a very serious commitment that we don’t think you two are quite ready for at such a young age.”

Raelynn glared at the two and shifted her gaze to Sun, hoping that her only father would help her out in this situation. He shook his head discreetly at her to say that he wasn’t going to do so.

“This is so unfair!” Raelynn whined.

“And you are  _ so _ underage, so you  **cannot** have a sleepover with this girl you want to  _ marry _ apparently,” Ilia said.

“Why not?” Raelynn asked. “I  _ miss her _ !”

“You two just need a little bit apart,” Sun reiterated, causing Ilia to give him the barest of smiles.

Raelynn glanced over at her brother, Clover, pleadingly, but he held up his hands.

“Hey, you and your wife are in this one together, I’m not getting in the middle of this one,” he said.

Raelynn huffed and glared at her brother. He was just angry that he was two years older than her and still hadn’t found true love like she had. Already a spinster at the age of nine, so sad.

Raelynn looked down at her hand and a small smile grew across her lips as she played with the plastic ring on her finger.

“Do you really need to wear that all the time?” Ilia asked sufferingly.

Raelynn nodded and pulled her hand closer to her chest defensively.

“Yes.”

-

“Moooomsss!” Braelyn whined, trailing after all three of her mothers with a pained expression.

Natalie sighed.

“What?!”

“Can I  _ please _ go see them?! You can’t stop me!”

“Then why did you ask?” Ivy asked, humming as she spun in a circle, putting a few dishes up as she continued her work. “I mean, if we can’t stop you, why does it matter?”

“Are you really dating Raelynn?” Zohra asked. The Ajax family had come over for dinner, like they did almost every night nowadays, and that meant that Alea had brought her wives and children to see Ivy with her.

“Yup! And it’s  _ amazing _ ! I’m going to marry that woman!” Braelyn said, spinning in a circle happily.

“Definitely your daughter,” Rachel muttered, glancing at Ivy.

Ivy smiled distractedly, continuing her chores.

Braelyn considered for a moment before she took a step backward.

“You know what? You’re right… I should take some time to think before I decide anything big… I’m going to go lay down and think…”

Braelyn hurried to her bedroom, and she heard her parents talking about how proud they were of her being so logical.

Braelyn waited less than a minute before she opened the window in her room and climbed outside, almost falling onto the ground from twenty feet several times.

Either way, she was outside and well on her way to find her future wife.

-

Raelynn grabbed her brother’s hand, tugging him down to her height.

“I need a distraction.”

“What kind?” he asked.

“Just your normal, distracting self should do the trick.”

“What?”

Raelynn shoved Clover and he was sent tumbling backwards, tripping over the air and hitting the ground with a  **_thump_ ** .

“Thanks!” she hissed, taking off as he grunted and called out in shock.

All three of their parents hurried to his side, but Raelynn shoved the back door open and took off into the night at full speed with none of them knowing where she had gone.

-

Braelyn looked around for a moment, frowning in confusion. She wasn’t sure  _ exactly _ where she was, but she knew that she was nearby.

She suddenly saw a familiar house, which told her that she was headed the right way. She grinned in excitement and took off toward the Nikos house, and almost bumped into Raelynn when she raced out of the door.

Raelynn flushed when she saw her girlfriend and tripped over her own feet, almost falling over.

Braelyn grabbed Raelynn and held her steady.

“When my momma does this kinda thing,” Brealyn said, thinking of Ivy, “she says that they fell for her.”

Raelynn giggled and looked up at Braelyn fondly.

“I did.”

Braelyn set Raelynn back on her feet and tucked a bit of her girlfriend’s hair behind her ear.

“Did you run out of the house to see me?” Raelynn asked with a slightly shy look on her face.

“Well, kinda, I mean, I crawled out of the window, but that counts.”

Raelynn giggled again and stared at her feet awkwardly.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

Ilia shot outside, panting as she looked down at the pair with wide eyes.

“It’s been two days! And why in the name of DUST are you here?!” Ilia hissed, pointing at Braelyn.

Braelyn cringed, and Raelynn pushed her behind herself.

“To see me! And two days is  _ way _ too long!” Raelynn cried.

Ilia groaned and slammed her hand against her forehead.

She guessed that this might…  _ not _ be a phase that her daughter was going through that could be fixed by a little time away from Braelyn.

Looked like she was going to be dealing with the Vines… for a long time.


	24. Feelings

Ilesha swung her fist, connecting it against the punching bag and sending it slamming against the wall behind it.

She continued her attack on the punching bag, not noticing when the door swung open and two forms stepped inside.

They had just arrived back at school a few hours ago, and she was already working in the gym on her own. She was just trying to distract herself, though that was clear, and she didn’t think it was working.

There was a tap on her shoulder, which caused Ilesha to spin quickly, almost punching Lavey in the face.

Lavey cursed and ducked down to avoid it.

Crystal cried out and dove to the side, and Ilesha’s eyes widened.

“Oh my Dust! I’m sorry!” Ilesha cried, helping Crystal to her feet quickly.

“It’s alright,” Crystal muttered, brushing the dust off of her that Ilesha couldn’t see. She wondered if Crystal was just making a show off of it for some reason, though Ilesha couldn’t figure out why.

“What are you doing here?” Lavey asked, raising an eyebrow and glancing around.

“Just… working out!” Ilesha said quickly.

“Looks more like you’re working  _ through things _ ,” Crystal said pointedly. “Why else would you be working out?”

Ilesha hesitated.

“It’s nothing,” Ilesha said finally, turning back to the punching bag.

“Uh… that punching bag looks like you’ve been taking  _ something _ out on it,” Lavey said, glancing at said punching bag, which looked like it had  **several** holes in it.

Ilesha laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of her neck.

“Nope! I’m all good!” Ilesha said. “How about we… go someplace else?”

Preferably a place where she didn’t have the punching bag behind her to show that she  _ might _ have had a little bit of anger to work through.

“Just tell us,” Crystal demanded, putting her hands on her hips as she leaned against Lavey to make them both look more intimidating.

Ilesha took a step backward, bumping into the punching bag and causing it to fall to the ground with a  **thump** .

“Tell you what?” Ilesha asked, laughing nervously.

Lavey and Crystal shared a suffering look and rolled their eyes together.

“You know what we’re talking about,” Lavey said.

“Yeah, you’ve been acting weird for a few days now,” Crystal said. “What’s going on?”

“I’m just… happy to be with you guys! So how about we go on a date?! We can leave right now! Come on, I’ll pay-”

Ilesha tried to step around them, but Lavey and Crystal both stepped in front of her and glared up at their girlfriend.

“Spill, now,” Lavey said.

“Yeah, or I’ll start making tally marks for each time you try to avoid the conversation,” Crystal said, half joking but half frustrated at the last time Ilesha had done that to her. Ilesha wanted to chuckle, but the situation made it impossible for her to do so.

“You’ve been different lately. You’ve been calmer, you look like you’re  _ thinking things through _ , which is just… not like you at all. And you’ve been nervous too. You never overthink enough to get nervous,” Lavey said gently, reaching out and putting her hand on Ilesha’s arm.

“What’s going on?” Crystal asked, grabbing Ilesha’s other hand.

Ilesha looked around desperately for an escape, and for a moment she looked at the air vents as if she was thinking about crawling through them, which didn’t make any sense. She probably couldn’t make it very far, and Lavey would get her before she could make an escape.

She supposed she was stuck. She’d had a good run, a nice date for her to remember for the rest of her life, and memories that she could look back on fondly for the rest of her life, even if she never got the chance to speak to them again.

“I was just… I wanted to know… or, well, I mean, I’m just worried that I… I don’t know, might… lose you guys?”

Crystal and Lavey gaped at her.

“W-what?!” they cried together in disbelief.

“Yeah. I mean… I liked you two for a long time, and neither of you liked me even as a friend really,” both of them grimaced and tried to deny it, but they really couldn’t, “and now all of the sudden you’re both interested in me romantically? That doesn’t really… make something sense. Something is wrong. I mean, maybe you like me now, but in the future, the near future, you’re probably not going to, because you really didn’t like me when I was a little kid, and you can’t like me for long! So I’m trying to be as likable as possible so that I get as much time as I can with you two before you both realize that you’re out of my league.”

Ilesha sighed and hung her head. By trying to keep them from realizing this, she had spelled it out for them.

Lavey and Crystal both stared at Ilesha in absolute shock.

“You’re worried about us leaving you?!” Crystal cried.

“That’s crazy!” Lavey shouted.

“Is it?” Ilesha asked, looking down at them with an incredulous expression on her face. “I mean, I followed you two around for years and you never looked my way for a minute, so why should I think that you’re going to give me more than a glance? One of you! Let alone  _ both of you _ ! I mean, when I was younger, I thought that I was in… well, I thought that I was never going to get over you, so now it feels like a dream for me, but…,” Ilesha looked away from them, “one day I’m gonna have to wake up, ya know. So I guess I’m just worried about then.”

Crystal and Lavey didn’t seem to know how to respond, staring at Ilesha silently for a long moment.

Ilesha sniffled and wiped at her face.

“Right! Sorry, I shouldn’t have… how about we just forget about this whole thing and get some lunch! I don’t want to bring down the mood, so how about we try that place you were talking about, Lav Lav? I know you like it-”

Lavey and Crystal shared a look before they shook their heads, making her shut up.

“Ilesha, we’re not going to just…  _ leave you _ ,” Crystal said gently, leaning closer to her girlfriend.

“Yeah! Of course we aren’t,” Lavey said. She put her head on Ilesha’s shoulder and stared up at her fondly.

Ilesha shifted and moved away from the pair.

“You might say that now, but feelings can change! I mean, just look at… or, well, that hasn’t happened yet, but it will, and that’s a big change!” Ilesha cried, throwing her arms up into the air. “So of course your feelings toward me will change. For Dust’s sake, they already did!”

Crystal and Lavey shared a glance that Ilesha didn’t understand. She didn’t understand most of those glances and looks that people stared, she supposed that was probably because, as her mother Stacey had frequently said (as well as Zohra, but that wasn’t important at the moment), she had too much of Alea in her, and she could easily be confused by these little interactions… though not as much so as her mother, thank goodness.

Meanwhile, Crystal and Lavey were trying to communicate silently about something they had told each other during the break.

“Ilesha, of  _ course _ our feelings changed for you once,” Crystal said.

“That’s what happens with little kid feelings,” Lavey said, rolling her eyes with a small smile, leaning closer to her girlfriend. “That’s what they’re  _ supposed _ to do. Little kid feelings are fickle. That’s why children get new friends and drop old ones. This sort of thing happens all the time… but…”

“These aren’t little kid feelings anymore,” Crystal said, picking up where her sister had felt off. Lavey had gotten too flustered to continue. “This is the real deal, this is some grown up stuff. Because… because I love you, Ilesha. Even if I’m forced to share you with  _ her _ ,” she said, pointing at Lavey.

Ilesha’s eyes widened in shock, and she stared down at her girlfriend in wonder.

“You what?” Ilesha asked, her voice breathless.

“I’m in love with you, you clueless little blond,” Crystal said, staring up at her lovingly.

Ilesha giggled and leaned down to get a better look at her girlfriend.

“Really?!” Ilesha asked excitedly.

Crystal flushed and laughed.

“Yes, I am.”

Ilesha was giggling uncontrollably now, and it was clear that she wouldn’t be able to respond even if she wanted to.

Lavey reached up and grabbed Ilesha’s face to tilt her face toward her, instead of Crystal.

“Oh on, Cy, you know that you ruin a moment as soon as you say something nice to her because she gets distracted for the next hour.”

Ilesha continued to giggle, and her gaze was locked on Crystal, even though Lavey was clutching her face.

Lavey snapped her fingers, and Ilesha jumped, staring at her other girlfriend with a slightly dazed expression, as if she was in some sort of trance that had been caused by Crystal.

“Ilesha Ajax, you human form of Pikachu, I’m in love with you,” Lavey said, “even if I have to share you with that thing,” she gestured at Crystal, who rolled her eyes with a small smile.

Ilesha giggled again and grinned in excitement, leaning closer to Lavey with an enthusiastic light to her eyes.

“You mean it?”

“Definitely.”

Ilesha continued to giggle, and both of her girlfriends were surprised to find that her hair was brightening as she stared at them.

“That’s awesome!” Ilesha continued, laughing quietly.

“Yes, our love confessions were ‘awesome’ and ‘cool,’ so are you feeling better?” Crystal asked.

Ilesha nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes! Much better! Do you two want to go out for lunch?! Ah, this is great! It’s like a weight has been lifted off my chest now that I know how you two feel about me! Oh, it’s so  _ freeing _ ! Let’s go!” Ilesha cried, grabbing them both by the hands and dragging them out of the gym behind her.

Crystal and Lavey stared at her incredulously.

Ilesha was all but skipping down the hall, at full speed, and the two were being hauled along behind her.

They both shared a glance, wondering if Ilesha was going to realize what she was doing, or if they were going to have to spell it out for her.

Ilesha was still skipping down the hall when she suddenly gasped loudly, skidding to a stop.

“Oh wait! I almost forgot!”

Crystal and Lavey sighed in relief, looking up at her with a mixture of worry and excitement.

“I almost forgot my wallet!” Ilesha giggled and started to walk off, but she paused. “Wait… there’s something else I’m forgetting something else… what is it?”

Crystal and Lavey both gaped at her, dumbfounded and unable to speak.

“Something about getting stuff off of my chest and being happy that you finally told me how you feel about me… oh! Right!”

Ilesha spun to face both of them seriously, taking her hands out of their own and reaching them up to cup Crystal and Lavey’s faces with them.

“I love you both. I’ve been in love with you for so long, and the happiest moment of my life was when you two told me how you felt. I’m sorry for being worried, I should have trusted that you felt the same. Now how about I go get my wallet so I can treat you both to lunch, because there is nobody else in this world that I would rather spend my time with. Come on.”

As Crystal and Lavey were dragged along behind her, they shared a look of frustration and fondness.

How could Ilesha switch from being such a mess to the smooth flirter that her mother could be. They finally decided not to think about it and just enjoy the moment.

After all, the woman they were both in love with had told them how she felt, and it was  **certainly** good news.


	25. Advice

Lavey pushed the door open, Crystal at her heels. They were both grinning like fools, still clearly excited after everything that had happened with Ilesha.

She saw that Adolpha and Auburn were still on their beds relaxing, Adolpha on her scroll messaging someone that Lavey didn’t know (she had been doing that for a while now), and Auburn looked like he was about to fall asleep.

As Crystal and Lavey were making their way toward their own stuff and their beds, but Crystal tripped over something that was on the ground in front of her.

She stumbled and glared at the ground to see what had caused her to almost fall on her face.

It was Adolpha’s bag.

“Dolph,” Crystal said quietly, trying not to yell, which was clear from her tone, “I thought we decided to unpack earlier, didn’t we?”

“You said something about that, I wasn’t listening,” Adolpha said, smiling down at her scroll.

Crystal’s eye twitched. She wondered what could be worth ignoring her. Or, well,  _ who _ could be.

“Could you do it now?” Crystal asked, barely controlling her temper.

“In a second,” Adolpha said, giggling at something on her scroll.

That was odd. Adolpha hardly giggled.

Crystal was too frustrated to care.

She opened her mouth to snap at Adolpha, but suddenly she glanced over at her sister.

Lavey looked up, raising an eyebrow.

“What?” she mouthed silently.

Crystal gestured aggressively at Adolpha.

Lavey took a second to think back about the conversation she hadn’t been thinking about, having been distracted by Ilesha and her thoughts about said girl, but she finally realized what was going on and what she was about to say.

“Hey, Adolpha?” Lavey asked.

Adolpha immediately put her scroll down and put it in her pocket, giving Lavey her full attention.

“Yes, Lav?” she replied.

“You mind unpacking?”

“Sure!” Adolpha said quickly, jumping to her feet and immediately grabbing the bag she had packed. She started to pull her stuff out of it and set it around her bed.

Lavey hesitated for a moment.

Oh right. She forgot about that problem.

That big, horrible, blaring problem that her mother had seen and pointed out.

She needed to figure out how to fix that. How to fix  _ Adolpha _ , that is…

But, well, she had no idea how to do so. So that meant she needed to talk to the person that knew Adolpha best (other than their parents because there was no way that Lavey was going to any of them for advice and getting the smug mom look from one of them).

Which meant that she had to go across the hall and see…

Jin.

Lavey grimaced at the thought.

Jin was  _ not _ going to be nice in this conversation.

Sometimes, Lavey missed the old pushover Jin.

-

Jin was seated on her bed, staring at Lavey, who was shifting uncomfortably in front of them.

“So, let me get this straight.”

Lavey winced.

“You broke our sister,” Jin glanced at Aella, who was seated beside her with wide eyes, “and you want our help to fix her.”

“Uh, yeah, that’s pretty much it.”

“How did you break Adolpha?” Romelle asked, sitting up straighter.

“I… may or may not have overdone it with the character development.”

“She’s a person, Lavey, you can’t just give her ‘character development’ willy nilly,” Romelle said with a dark glare.

Lavey stared at her in shock.

“Yeah, I, uh, know that now, Romelle,” Lavey said. “Didn’t know that before, but I realized that recently.”

“Oh yeah, good job,” Romelle said sarcastically, leaning back on her seat against the wall and crossing her arms.

Lavey decided to ignore that.

“Anyways, I need some help making her normal Adolpha without making her super over demanding leader Adolpha. So a happy middle,” Lavey said, waving her hands around in front of her as she all but rambled.

None of them could remember seeing Lavey ramble like this.

“Well you better fix this, because it’s just downright creepy to see her acting so…”

“Nice?” Aella offered. Several people glared at her.

“Relaxed?” Romy offered, snorting to herself.

_ Quit it, you should actually pay attention, you know, _ Romelle thought to her sister.

During this entire conversation, Romy had been listening to music from one headphone and pretending that she was listening to a word that Lavey was saying.

Romy unceremoniously cut the telepathic link between her and Romelle.

They hadn’t been communicating that way as much recently, but they had been starting to bridge the gap.

Looks like Romy was done for the day, which made Romelle roll her eyes.

“Lavey, here’s what you need to tell her.”


	26. The Conversation

The door opened, and Adolpha glanced up from where she was seated. She hadn’t gotten a response for a few minutes, which was odd considering who she was messaging, and she wondered if they had gotten distracted.

She put her scroll in her pocket as soon as she saw who had walked into the room.

“Are you fixing it?” Crystal asked, her arms crossed and her tail flicking behind her in frustration.

“That’s the plan.”

“Don’t fuck it up again,” Crystal said irritably, reaching her hand out to grab Auburn by the arm and tugging him out of the room.

“Trying not to,” Lavey called.

“Uh, where are we going?” Auburn asked.

“Just shut up and come on,” Crystal said with an eye roll.

He didn’t argue.

Lavey waved at them dismissively when they left, her gaze locked on Adolpha.

Adolpha looked a little confused at their siblings unceremoniously leaving, and she glanced at Lavey.

“We need to talk.”

“Okay,” Adolpha said, sitting up straighter and watching her sister.

“You need to stop listening to me,” Lavey said immediately, taking a seat across from Adolpha. She didn’t want any build up, considering she wanted this conversation done with. She missed the real Adolpha. Not the old one though, and not this new one. The one that was in between the annoying control freak and the one that listened to her every word.

Adolpha’s eyes widened, and she stared at Lavey incredulously. Lavey rolled her eyes and motioned for Adolpha to speak. She  _ really _ didn’t want to have this conversation, but here she was. She had been hoping this whole thing would work itself out before they got back to school, but it hadn’t.

“I thought the first semester was all about you getting me to listen,” Adolpha pointed out.

“Yeah, but now you’re listening  _ too _ much!” Lavey cried, throwing her arms up in the air in frustration.

“That’s possible?” Adolpha asked, one of her ears twitching slightly.

“Well I didn’t think it was, but you proved me wrong. Congratulations, Dolph! You did what you’ve been trying to do for years! Make an idiot out of me!” Lavey cried.

Adolpha’s lips twitched into the barest of smiles, though she looked like she was trying to fight it off.

“Well, at least I did  _ something _ right.”

“You mean by making me wrong?!” Lavey cried.

“That’s  **precisely** what I mean.”

Lavey wanted to be insulted, but she was fighting off a laugh.

“See?!  **That’s** what I want!” she cried.

“Me insulting you?” Adolpha asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes! Or, well, not that specifically, but… that comes with the package deal of Adolpha!” Lavey said, throwing her hands up. “The whole reason I tried to help you grow last semester was so that I could get to know the  _ real _ you that wasn’t overwhelmed with all of those responsibilities and stuff, but then you started to listen to  **everything** I said, and that just blew my whole plan out of the water! I mean… how am I supposed to get to know you if you’re just doing everything  _ I _ say! That’s not the real you, Adolpha.”

Adolpha was silent for a moment, considering.

“So you’re saying I’m  _ too _ good of a teammate?” she asked.

Lavey was about to go off on another rant, but she saw the barest of smirks growing on Adolpha’s face.

She hesitated.

“Are you messing with me?” Lavey asked.

Adolpha leaned back a bit, her smile broadening.

“Maybe.”

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” Lavey said, rolling her eyes.

“You said to be true to who I am. This is really on you, Lav.”

Lavey wanted to glare at her, but it was impossible to do that effectively when she was laughing.

“I might just be starting to regret this whole thing,” Lavey said, shaking her head.

“And look at that? Not only did I make you look like an idiot, but I also made you regret something.  _ Two _ things!” Adolpha cried.

Lavey groaned and flopped back onto the bed she had been sitting on, throwing one arm over her eyes so that she could suffer in darkness.

“You’re a handful.”

“One that you, apparently, can’t control anymore, since I’m under strict orders to not take orders.”

“That’s  **not** what I said, Adolpha!” Lavey cried, her voice almost a whine.

“Really? Cause that’s  _ definitely _ what I heard,” Adolpha said, laying down and watching Lavey from her own bed.

“Then you need hearing aids. I thought you had  _ two  _ sets of ears, Dolph, what happened?!”

Adolpha snickered.

“What was that? Don’t think I heard you, you’re going to have to speak up.”

Lavey threw a pillow at her, and Adolpha burst out laughing.

Lavey peeked out from under her arm to look at her sister, and a smile grew across her face.

Well… at least it seemed to have worked.

Adolpha was about to say something, but she froze when she heard her scroll go off.

She reached into her pocket and stared at the message before she started to grin, responding immediately.

Lavey, not for the first time, wondered who she was messaging.

Maybe she should have done what Jin suggested earlier… but telling Adolpha to stop hanging out with someone before she fixed her would have just been cruel… and she probably wouldn’t have listened anyways!

Regardless… it was a dream she wished could come true, if only for their sister’s sake.


	27. Development

Adolpha ducked under an attack that she saw coming, glad that it happened, considering it had only been a twenty percent chance. She had decided to take the risk.

Lavey seemed excited at that, and she gave her a thumbs up from where she fought against Romelle. She was holding up her bo staff to block an attack from Romelle’s buzzsaw pocket watch, which was in its far more deadly state: the buzzsaw.

Adolpha spun on her heel and brought her hooked sword up, grabbing Romy’s staff in the hook and shoved it down toward the ground.

Romy stumbled, caught off guard, perhaps because Adolpha never goes all out against Romy, and this was  _ definitely _ a new experience for her.

Adolpha was happy with herself, not waiting for any instruction from Lavey, and she took the opportunity to get some of her frustration out on Romy. I mean, come on, Romy was being rather rude lately. Or, well, more so than normal.

As Romy stumbled toward the ground, Adolpha brought her foot up, roundhouse kicking Romy in the face at full strength.

Romy cried out in shock and fell back a few steps.

Adolpha went toward her to finish off her opponent, but a loud voice stopped her.

“Little help here!” Crystal called out, letting out a grunt as Jin’s hammer connected with her, sending her flying.

“Coming!” Adolpha hollered, leaving Romy where she was, disregarding her completely, and racing toward her sister.

Jin had her hammer raised her hammer, about to bring it slamming down on Crystal where she lay on the ground.

Adolpha slid across the ground between Jin’s legs, raising her hooked sword.

As Jin’s weapon came down, Adolpha grabbed a bit of the hilt with the hook of her sword and caused the hammer to swing to the side and miss the two of them completely.

Crystal stared at Adolpha in absolute shock. She hadn’t seen Adolpha fight like that since… well, Dust, she hadn’t  **ever** seen her fight like that! Adolpha had always been too cautious to take chances like that, but suddenly Adolpha was taking risks lately in a way that she never had.

She had come to the realization that she could change the probability of different outcomes that were very unlikely by taking the right actions.

She found that she quite liked making the unlikely become likely.

Adolpha rolled to her feet and used one of her hooked swords to redirect an attack from Jin. She used the other to duck down and loop the blade around Jin’s leg. She tugged and Jin cried out, falling to the ground with a  _ thump _ .

Adolpha yanked her swords back to her and then spun around, reaching one hand down toward Crystal.

Crystal was staring at Adolpha still in disbelief, but she finally reached out and grabbed Adolpha’s hand with her own.

Adolpha tugged her to her feet and then spun, raising her weapons.

“Ready?” Adolpha asked, smirking.

“Apparently not as much as you are,” Crystal said, eyeing her sister.

Adolpha snickered and waited for the next person to rush after her.

Jin was going to, but Romy jumped over her, ignoring Jin's grunt of shock as she was almost hit in the head.

Adolpha seemed a little bit shocked, but a small smile grew across her lips.

“Hey, this one’s mine,” Adolpha whispered.

“You’ve been saying that since we were ten,” Crystal replied, rolling her eyes.

Adolpha flushed and kicked her sister in the ankle.

“Just don’t go easy on her,” Crystal said.

“I don’t plan to,” Adolpha said with a smirk.

Crystal didn’t seem to believe her, but she took off anyways.

Adolpha turned to Romy, who was watching her with narrowed eyes.

Adolpha spun her swords in both hands, watching the possible futures of Romy and ignoring her entirely. She had never paid attention to the future possibilities when she was fighting the twin, but this time she was determined to treat Romy like she was anyone else.

Romy shot forward at full speed, bringing her staff in front of her and readying an attack, but Adolpha rolled to the side as Romy swung her staff, and Adolpha stuck her leg out in front of her.

Romy stumbled and almost fell over from the kick.

Adolpha smirked when Romy cried out in shock, as if she hadn’t expected Adolpha to actually be a capable opponent.

Adolpha leapt to her feet and swung her hooked sword forward to grab Romy’s leg. She pulled with full force and caused her to actually fall.

She cried out and Adolpha smirked, racing after her opponent and slamming her foot against the girl’s back to keep her planted on the ground.

Adolpha then swung both of her swords, cutting into Romy’s Aura deeply.

A buzzer went off to let team LAAC know that Romy’s Aura was at a dangerous level.

Adolpha took her foot off of Romy’s back and instantly turned around to help Crystal against Jin.

“About da-” Crystal hesitated, eyes wide, “d-dang time.”

Adolpha frowned. It was weird, but Crystal hadn’t been cursing as much lately. She wondered why.

As she got distracted by the rest of the fight, she didn’t notice the expression on Romy’s face.


	28. The Apology

Adolpha was walking back to her dorm room with her team, grinning broadly. They had taken out team JARR with little to no difficulty, and Adolpha was very happy with the development she had made lately.

She suddenly found herself wanting some water, which caused her to realize that she had left her water bottle behind in the training room.

She hesitated and glanced at the people she was walking with.

Her entire team plus Jin and Aella were headed toward their dorms, but Romy and Romelle were still in the sparring room.

“I’ll be back in a few, I have to go back and get my water bottle,” Adolpha said before she turned on her heel and jogged back.

“What are the odds that she’s going back just to talk to Romy?” Crystal asked, once her sister was out of earshot.

“I don’t know, we’re not sharing Semblances right now,” Auburn said with a giggle. All of his siblings stared at him with disappointment, but he didn’t seem to care.

“I hope she isn’t,” Jin muttered, shaking her head.

“You and me both,” Lavey hissed, glancing over her shoulder at the retreating form of her sister.

-

Adolpha stopped when she reached the sparring room door, starting to open it, but she froze when she heard someone start to yell.

“No, we  _ can’t _ just do this in our heads!” Romelle snapped angrily.

“What’s wrong with you lately?!” Romy cried, throwing her arms up in frustration.

“You! You’re what’s wrong with me, Romy!” Romelle snapped. “You being an  _ asshole _ is what’s wrong with me!”

Romy gaped at her sister with disbelief.

“I just said that Adolpha was being a bit of a bitch today! That’s it!” Romy cried.

Adolpha winced, eyes wide. She had wanted to walk inside, but now she was frozen in place, unable to stop herself from standing there and listening to Romy’s insults.

“Like what’s her problem?! It’s like she had some sort of vendetta against me today! Like what’s that all about?!” Romy snapped.

“You! You’re her problem too!” Romelle roared. “You’re  **everyone’s** problem!”

“It’s not my damn fault that she’s, like, in love with me or something!” Romy snapped.

Adolpha subconsciously took a step backward, one hand reaching up to cover her mouth as her eyes started to water.

“It’s not  **my** fault that she’s constantly clinging to my arm!” Romy cried. “Not  **my** fault that she is  _ obsessed _ with me! I don’t know why you give a shit about it, but don’t take your anger out on  **me** when it’s clearly  _ your _ problem!”

Romy went to shove Romelle, but her sister stepped to the side and then raised her fist, punching her sister in the face.

Romy stumbled backward and fell to the ground, though not from pain, more so from shock. She gaped at her sister in disbelief from where she lay.

“You know what? You keep asking me what my problem is, but I think the real question is what  _ yours _ is. And you know what? I have the answer. You’re a self absorbed little narcissist that thinks she’s above everyone else, but your ego should be smaller than you are!”

Romelle took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. It didn’t work.

“I’ve been sitting by, watching you do this to her for  **years** … but you know what? I’m done. I’m done with your shit, I’m done with how you treat her, and I’m done with you.”

Romelle turned on her heel and stalked out of the room.

She pushed the door open, only for her eyes to widen in shock.

She looked up at Adolpha before she glanced over her shoulder, finding Romy still staring up at the ceiling in disbelief.

Adolpha opened her mouth, trying to say something, anything, but Romelle reached up and covered her mouth, shaking her head.

Romelle brought one finger up to her lips to tell her to be silent.

Romelle then grabbed Adolpha by the hand and dragged her down the hallway.

Adolpha was still in a state of shock, so she followed after Romelle silently, almost tripping over her own feet.

Romelle led her to the end of the hall and then sat down.

Adolpha fell down beside her.

“I’m sorry,” Romelle whispered.

“No.”

Romelle glanced at Adolpha.

“You shouldn’t be the one that apologizes.”


	29. Twin Problems

Adolpha and Romelle had been sitting in silence for a long time.

Or, well, it had been  _ almost _ silent, save for the sound of Romelle’s scroll buzzing from incessant messages from her sister. She had ignored them all, and had been tempted to throw her scroll down the hall.

She decided against it when Adolpha sighed, running a hand through her hair.

Romelle shifted a bit closer to her.

“You alright?” Romelle asked.

Adolpha glanced at her, giving the barest of smiles. It wasn’t forced, but it was tired.

“Yes and no, I guess.”

“That’s not exactly a cohesive answer, Adolpha.”

Adolpha let out a soft laugh, shaking her head.

“It’s… weird. On one hand, it hurts that she’d say something like that. I guess I just… I don’t know, thought she was better than that? Or that, secretly, she might like me, at least as a friend… but, on the plus side, at least it’s over. Now that I know she doesn’t like me at all, I can move on. Plus, it’s nice to know that she’s a jerk. That helps.”

“I’ve been trying to tell you that for years,” Romelle said, shrugging. “I’m the good twin, after all.”

Adolpha laughed quietly, ducking her head.

“I guess for the longest time I thought that I liked the bad girls… but maybe a good one would be better for me after all,” Adolpha said.

Romelle instantly flushed pink and looked anywhere but at Adolpha.

_ She didn’t mean it that way, _ Romelle thought to herself.

_ Who didn’t mean it what way? _ a familiar voice asked.

_ Get out! _ Romelle shouted.

She felt the presence disappear from her mind before she turned back to Adolpha.

“Well… despite looking exactly like her in almost every way, I’m not my sister, so I’m not going to hurt you, Adolpha. If you ever need to talk, I’m here for you.”

Romelle looked away, not wanting to see Adolpha’s response.

There was a long moment of silence, and she worried that she had messed everything up.

Suddenly, there was a hand on her leg, which caused her to turn.

Adolpha’s gray eyes were staring back at her intently, and she gulped, glancing down at her hand.

“If it’s not too much to ask, then I’d love to have your help.”

Romelle couldn’t stop the words that came next.

“Of course it’s not too much to ask, Adolpha. Nothing is.”

Romelle realized what she had said, and she looked away from Adolpha quickly.

The silence that overwhelmed them once more was too much, and Romelle wracked her brain to figure out what she could say without ruining the moment.

“Thank you,” Adolpha said softly, leaning over and putting her head on top of Romelle’s own.

“Anything for you, Adolpha.”

Adolpha hummed at the words, and Romelle could tell that her eyes had fallen shut. She guessed that today  _ had _ been rather tiring for Adolpha, and she let her just lay there. It wasn’t like she could ever say no to her anyways. She never could.

-

Romy was walking down the halls, still searching for her sister. She had wanted to go to the dorm room, had even gotten all the way to the door, but she didn’t want to open the door. She had just said some…  _ very _ mean things to Aella and Jin’s sister, and even if they didn’t know, she assumed that Romelle would probably tell them. She had sent a few messages to her sister, but she hadn’t responded to her. She had reached out telepathically to find where she was afterwards, and was surprised to find that she was just at the end of the hallway across from their own.

Romelle had told her to leave, after saying something about someone, presumably a female, not meaning something, presumably words, they had said to her.

She had given her sister a few minutes to cool down before she headed toward the end of the hallway, stopping when she reached the turn, finding…

Romelle sitting on the floor and making sure not to move, considering Adolpha was asleep beside her, head set on top of her own.

Romy stopped immediately, eyes going wide.

“Wh-”

Romelle’s eyes shot away from Adolpha, and she glared darkly at her sister. She brought one finger up to her lips to silence her before she tapped her head.

Romy got the message. For Dust’s sake, she had known this woman her whole life, had been in her head for most of it. She was  _ pretty sure _ that she knew almost everything that went on in her brain.

She connected them telepathically.

_ What are you doing? _ Romy asked, glancing between her sister and Adolpha.

_ We were talking, and she fell asleep. What are  _ **_you_ ** _ doing? _ Romelle snapped.

_ Checking on you. I mean, you kinda yelled at me, punched me, and then ran off… apparently to find Adolpha, _ Romy replied, crossing her arms.

Romelle’s eye twitched.

_ If you’re just going to be a bitch, then do it in the dorm room instead of here, _ Romelle replied.

_ Hey! I was trying to be nice, but apparently you’re just going to yell at me. _

_ Why is it always someone else’s fault, Romy? Why is it so hard to believe that, maybe just this once, you’re the one to blame? _ Romelle asked, frustration seeping into her voice.

Adolpha let out a gentle sound and turned a bit next to Romelle. The sight irritated Romy for reasons she couldn’t explain, so she glared harder at Romelle.

_ Whatever, I was just going to check on you, but it looks like you’re…  _ **_busy_ ** _ already, _ Romy thought before instantly cutting the connection between them.

She spun on her heel and stalked away, leaving the pair behind.

Adolpha shifted a bit again, and Romelle reached her hand out, setting it on top of Adolpha’s.

Adolpha instantly calmed and Romelle let herself relax and fall asleep beside her.

-

Romy shifted in bed.

She didn’t know what time it was, though she guessed it didn’t really matter. She’d stopped caring after three in the morning, though she guessed that had to be a long time ago. It felt like it had been… but who knew anymore?

She hadn’t been able to fall asleep, not even for a fifteen minute cat nap, all night, her sister’s words replaying in her head.

Was she really just a little self-absorbed narcissist?  **Everyone’s** problem? That  _ had _ to be an exaggeration.

It had to be.

Right?

Of course…

She rolled over in bed again.

Well… perhaps  _ some _ of it had been a hyperbole, but that didn’t mean that Romelle didn’t have… a  _ bit _ of a point.

Perhaps she should consider being…  _ slightly _ nicer to people.

Just a bit.

If only so that she could have Romelle back on her side.

It was… disconcerting to have Romelle against her, and she wanted her back.

Not because she was guilty. Of course not.


	30. Practice

Saffron grinned as the song came to a close, and she turned to look at their makeshift audience.

There weren’t many, considering it was only a practice, but they had been excited to show their friends and family what they had come up with.

Jin walked up to the stage and passed Saffron a water, giving her a shy smile. Saffron smirked at her before taking the water bottle.

“Thanks,” she said, turning back to the group.

“So, what’d you guys think?!” Ilesha cried excitedly.

“It was  _ amazing _ !” Cooper called at top volume, clapping excitedly. Mavros was noticeably missing from Cooper’s side, having stayed in the dorm room to sulk, considering Akio and Ilesha had ditched them for the Adax band.

“It  _ was _ pretty impressive,” Lavey said, smirking. “But that might just be because I like the singer.”

Crystal rolled her eyes.

“Oh my Dust,” she said suddenly, “does this make us groupies?”

“Oooh! We have our first groupies. You hear that, Jin?” Saffron asked.

“Yeah!” Ilesha agreed, leaning down toward her girlfriends with a goofy smile.

Crystal flushed and huffed, about to say something, but she was cut off as Ilesha leaned down and stole a kiss, causing Crystal to become immediately flustered. She forgot what she had been about to say.

Lavey then impatiently tapped her foot, staring up at Ilesha.

As soon as the two pulled apart, Lavey grabbed her girlfriend and pulled her down.

Meanwhile, Akio and Rosemary were chatting about the gig.

“You think everything’s going to go alright tomorrow?” Akio whispered, messing with the sleeve of his shirt.

Rosemary reached her hand up to grab Akio’s, stopping him from ruining his shirt.

“It’s going to be  _ fine _ , Kio. You’re such a worrier,” she said, rolling her eyes.

He smiled slightly, ducking his head.

“Yeah, we all know that, Rose.”

“You guys have gotten a  _ lot _ better, and you were already pretty great,” Jin said, smiling at Saffron as she put down her bass.

“Thanks. I mean, we have been working on it pretty much nonstop, so…,” Saffron stretched a bit and side eyed Jin.

“Seems like you’re always working on  _ something. _ Do you ever take a break?” Jin asked.

“Don’t know. Maybe if something better came up…”

Jin was silent for a moment before she spoke up.

“Well, maybe something will, someday.”

“Been waitin’ for it.”

Before Jin could reply, Romelle caught her attention.

“So is… everyone invited to this gig tomorrow night?” she asked. She was standing beside Adolpha, who had her arm resting on Romelle’s head.

“Yeah! Whoever wants to come!” Ilesha replied excitedly. Both of her arms were thrown over Lavey and Crystal’s shoulders, and she looked like she couldn’t possibly be happier.

Zohra glanced around, fiddling with her guitar a bit.

“Are more of you coming tomorrow, or…”

“Oh!” Jin said, spinning quickly. “Aella wanted to say sorry that she couldn’t make it tonight, she’s in the library studying for a test. She  _ is _ going to be there tomorrow, though.”

Zohra nodded, a small smile on her face.

Aella was the only one of the seven that hadn’t come to the band’s practice, and she had been a little awkward about her reasoning. Jin could have sworn that she had seen Aella studying for this test before, but she guessed that could have been fake…

Jin didn’t put much thought into it, considering she was distracted by the conversation once more.

“Things still weird?” Saffron whispered.

“You have  _ no _ idea,” Jin replied, sighing and slumping against the wall.

Saffron stood beside her, the pair watching the rest of the people in the room.

Like Aella, Romy hadn’t come to the practice, though for different reasons. And by reasons, Jin meant that Romelle had given her the darkest glare she had ever seen from the twin, and Romy had sat back down before she had the chance to leave.

“What happened?” Saffron asked, leaning a bit closer as they quietly conversed.

“She just…,” Jin sighed, “it’s just so awkward now. I don’t know what happened between them, but I’m sure I’ll get it out of Romelle soon, though.”

“What about Romy?” Saffron asked.

“I’m mad at her,” Jin hissed.

“Why? You don’t even know what happened.”

“But Adolpha sided with  _ Romelle _ . Do you know what that means?!” Jin growled.

“Uh… because Romelle was right?” Saffron replied.

“And there was no defending Romy. At all. You’ve seen Adolpha, she’s way too loyal when she finally picks someone, whether they deserve her or not, and it looks like Romy finally screwed up one too many times for Adolpha to deal with her anymore. I never thought I’d live to see the day,” Jin said.

“I can’t tell if you’re happy or not,” Saffron said, raising an eyebrow.

“Me neither. I mean, on one hand, it looks like Adolpha’s finally starting to get over her, and I’ve been wishing for  **that** since it started, but on the other… it’s going to be tough for her.”

Saffron nodded sadly, watching Jin for a moment before she let her hand fall down to her side, fingers brushing against Jin’s own.

Jin sighed, her shoulders slumping. She reached one hand up to run down her face while her other grabbed Saffron’s.

“You know I’m here if you need me,” Saffron whispered, tilting her head to the side so that it rested against Jin’s.

“I know, I know,” Jin glanced at her and a small smile grew across her lips. “Thanks.”

Saffron bumped her shoulder against Jin’s.

“I’m  _ always _ here if you need me.”

Jin slumped a bit more, letting her eyes fall shut.

“You two okay over there?” Lavey called, smirking.

The two jumped, and Jin pulled her hand out of Saffron’s.

“Yeah, just… just talking!” Jin cried, her face turning a light shade of pink.

Saffron rolled her eyes at the exchange, but she let Jin withdraw, heading to the stage to join the band.

After all, they needed a lot of practice before their gig tomorrow.


	31. Negotiations

The bar was packed with people, both from school and its regular patrons. Though, to be fair, Lavey assumed that there had never been so many people below the legal drinking age in this, or perhaps  _ any _ , bar. Dozens of students had come to support the Adax band, though many because, Lavey thought irritably, they were interested in different members of the band. Specifically Akio and Ilesha.

Lavey was searching through the bar with her eyes, trying to make sure she didn’t get too distracted by Ilesha, who was about to take the stage with her band.

She tried to take count of everyone in the room.

Romy was leaning back against the wall, arms crossed, as she watched the band come onto the stage. Romelle, on the other hand, was standing beside Adolpha, the pair quietly chatting about something that she couldn’t hear. Lavey was just happy to note that Adolpha hadn’t once turned to look at where Romy stood, instead focusing on Romelle.

Jin was standing close to where Crystal and Lavey were, watching the stage with a small smile on her face.

Aella was at Jin’s side, her gaze focused on one of the band members in particular, a small smile on her face.

Auburn was a few feet away, at the very center of the stage and in the front row. He had a video camera in his hands to record the event for his friends. He kept rambling on and on about getting them an album or a record deal, though Lavey doubted they’d be able to do it with just a poorly made home video of a gig.

Mavros was standing at Cooper’s side, looking irritable, though at least he was there to support them. That was something, right?

Romelle and Adolpha didn’t seem to notice that the band was getting set up, considering Romelle was giggling at something Adolpha had said, leaning against her side. Adolpha had on a small grin, looking down at the twin. Meanwhile, Romy was watching the pair with a small frown, tapping her foot against the ground irritably.

Clover was standing beside Auburn, trying to get the camera from him gently so that he could get a better vantage of the stage.

Auburn shook his head before he grinned in excitement. Lavey watched with a small frown as Auburn held out the camera to Clover, who took it with a sigh of relief. Moments later, Clover cried out in shock as Auburn started to climb up his back like a drunken monkey, settling himself on Clover’s shoulders finally before he reached down and grabbed the camera.

“See?” Auburn said. “This way, we have an even  **better** view!”

Clover looked up at him before he started to laugh.

Auburn playfully swatted his head.

“Quit it!” he whined. “You’re making the camera shake!”

Clover just laughed harder, bouncing his legs up and down to make it worse.

“Quit it! You’ll ruin it!” he hissed.

Clover looked like he was about to do something else, but Ilesha stepped toward the microphone in front of her, clearing her throat.

All eyes were on her almost immediately.

Ilesha suddenly panicked. She hadn’t thought things through on her way up here, she rarely thought  _ anything _ through, and had failed to notice how many people were in the bar before she had stepped onto the stage and been forced to see them all staring up at her.

She froze for a moment, eyes widening as they searched the crowd, finding the sea of people dizzying.

Finally her eyes landed on Crystal and Lavey, who were both smiling up at her.

Ilesha found herself grinning back, her confidence flooding into her.

Before she had the chance to stop herself, she spoke.

She instantly regretted it, but she powered through.

“Hello my dudes and dudettes! You’re all lucky enough to see the debut of the Adax Band! Who’s excited?!” Ilesha cried.

Crystal and Lavey stared at Ilesha incredulously.

Did… did she just call the people watching “dudes and dudettes?!”

Based on Zohra’s expression of absolute horror, she had.

Anything that could be said about Ilesha’s opening line was cut off as the crowd started to cheer. And not just the people from Beacon. It seemed that Ilesha calling the audience “dudes and dudettes” had even gotten the full attention of the people drinking at the bar, and they were staring at the band as if wondering what might come next.

Ilesha  _ beamed _ in excitement, almost bouncing up and down on her toes.

Arlen counted them in with his drums before the song started.

Akio and Ilesha were obviously the singers, but Ilesha was singing lead tonight.

“You know I gotta love you,” Ilesha sang, staring at Lavey and Crystal through the crowd. They both flushed, not noticing that Jin was smiling shyly. She reached up and moved a bit of her hair behind her ear as she watched the band.

“Our name is written in the streets.”

It was difficult, but Lavey tore her gaze away from the leader singer, searching the bar. She knew what she was looking for, and she was hoping against hope that she would find it.

“You are a force of nature, the fire's moving through your feet…”

Jin was trying not to smile too broadly, but her excitement was almost impossible to contain. She couldn’t believe that the song she had recommended to the band was being played first.

“Ohhh your love, your love could start a war.”

Auburn looked down at Clover with a smile, almost losing the camera in his hands as he became distracted.

“Your love is what I'm fighting for.”

Romelle glanced over at Adolpha, watching as the Faunus swayed back and forth to the song, grinning. Romelle took a deep breath before she set her head on Adolpha’s arm.

Adolpha glanced at her, and her smile widened.

“I would die for this revelation.”

Romy took her eyes off of the stage for just a moment, her gaze landing on her sister and Adolpha. She frowned just a bit before she forced herself to pay attention. After all, she had come here to support the band, not glare at her sister.

“Your love could start a war.”

Adolpha stared up at the stage, offering a thumbs up when she saw one of the members looking in her general direction.

“The dawn will break before you,” Ilesha sang, having to fight off a grin as she did so. Lavey wondered if it was her girlfriend’s Semblance or merely her smile that was blinding her.

She came to the conclusion that it was likely both.

“Under your thumb I'm on my knees.”

Jin was bobbing her head to the song, and her eyes shifted over to Saffron, who was lost to the music, her eyes shut as she played, a small smile on her face.

“You play a game of pressure,”

Romelle seemed to notice that someone was staring, her Aura having alerted her, and she glanced over her shoulder.

“You're getting stronger while I sleep.”

Romy looked away quickly.

“You're burning up the sky, you're a constellation!”

Lavey made sure she wasn’t looking at Ilesha, but Crystal didn’t seem to notice that there were more important things to be done, so she was staring at their girlfriend with a lovestruck smile that Lavey refused to acknowledge she had been copying a moment before.

“Swear that I could die in this revelation!”

Romy and Romelle were both glancing at Adolpha, though only one was leaning against her side, arm threaded through hers.

“Your battle cry is drowning out the fear.”

Saffron finally opened her eyes, and she was met with Jin’s own. She offered up a smirk.

“Just take my life, I know the end is near.”

Jin flushed, which just made Saffron’s smirk broaden as she raised an eyebrow.

“You're riot dancin’, but I just want to fly.”

Aella was enjoying her time listening to the band, swaying back and forth with Jin, though she was surprised to see that her sister suddenly stopped. She tried to follow her sister’s gaze, but she was sidetracked when she found her eyes landing on Zohra, who offered her a little wink and a grin.

“I hear you singing tomorrow never dies.”

Lavey glanced at Ilesha, and she was so distracted that she almost missed what she was looking for. Her gaze shot back to the man in the front of the bar, seated without a drink while watching the band contemplatively.

That was him. That was Lavey’s mark.

“I would die for this revelation!” Ilesha cried, dancing around the stage with the microphone in hand. People were laughing and cheering, even as the song played its final notes.

“Ohhh your love….”

Lavey pushed through the crowds, not caring when she almost caused several people to fall to the ground, not even one of those people was her sister. Aella had been so distracted by the band that she had almost fallen flat on her face as Lavey passed by. A quick gust of wind from her Semblance had been the only thing to save her.

“Is what I'm fighting for!”

Lavey slammed her hand against the bar in time to the final note of the song, staring at the man.

He jumped in shock, looking around as if expecting to see someone a foot taller than Lavey. After a moment, he glanced down, staring at her in shock.

“Alright, let’s cut to the chase,” Lavey said, waving her hand that wasn’t resting on the bar.

“Excuse me, but who are you?” he asked, glaring at her.

Lavey’s eyes narrowed.

“The woman that’s about to help you make the best deal of your career, Mr. Williams,” Lavey said, her gaze flickering up and down as she took him in. It had the desired effect of having him squirm a bit.

Lavey smirked.

“You see that band up there? The one that you’ve been eyeing like they’re going to hand you your next paycheck on a silver platter? Yeah, that’s the one. Anyways, you’re going to sign them, and you’re going to do it now.”

“What?! How do you even…”

“Know who you are?” Lavey waved her hand. “I have my ways and my sources. The fact of the matter remains the same. You’re going to sign them tonight, and before the gig is done.”

He crossed his arms, finally having seemed to get past the shock. Didn’t matter, Lavey still had the upper hand.

After all, she always did.

“I’ve only heard  _ one _ song, and it’s a decent cover.”

Lavey’s eyes narrowed.

“Cover? Yes. Decent? No damn way. That,” Lavey gestured at the band, who was starting up their next song, Play Dirty, “is better than the original, and they’re young and impressionable, which means you’re going to offer them a little bit of money for each song because they don’t know any better. And you know what?”

Lavey stared at the man.

“That would have worked. Except you didn’t take into account overprotective girlfriends. Now before this gig is over, you’re going to sign on  **this** ,” Lavey reached back and grabbed the documents she had had printed out earlier, slapping them against the bar in front of her, “dotted line. And initial there.”

“I’m not signing  _ any _ of this without reading it, and I had no intention of signing them in the first place!”

Flustered.

Good, that’s what Lavey wanted.

“Too bad, considering they’re going to be top of the charts in no time flat. You see that beautiful girl at the front? The lead singer? In case you don’t recognize her, that’s  _ Ilesha Ajax _ , the genius behind the shmazer, which is  **still** being sold out months after its release at the Vytle Tournament. Not to mention the fact that she is a  _ very _ popular leader of a short lived boy band that took off at Beacon with  _ hundreds _ of fans that are just lining up to buy anything you stick her name on. So how about we stop talking about the opportunities you could lose, and instead start discussing numbers?”

He considered for a moment before he looked Lavey up and down.

“My normal price is twenty-”

“Your normal price is twenty-three percent and you’re about to say that you can bump it down to twenty just for us. Yeah, your normal is twenty and you think you’re good at negotiating, we get it,” Lavey said, waving her hand dismissively. “Five.”

“Five?”

“Percent. That’s the highest we’ll offer.”

“That’s… that’s ridiculous! Eighteen, and that’s the lowest I’ll go!”

“Five percent is the lowest you’ll go, actually, considering that’s going to be our end agreement, but go ahead and think that you’ll get a cent more.”

“Seventeen.”

“That’s just insulting,” Lavey said, leaning back against the bar and turning to watch Ilesha. A small smile grew across her lips as she remembered why she had stayed up half the night last night to study different agents in the area and their rates.

“Fine. Fifteen, that’s the lowest I could ever let you get away with.”

“Five.”

“Who even are you?!” the man cried.

“Lavey.”

“And what gives you the right to negotiate for this band?” he hissed.

“Band Adax, and you know their name, you’re just trying to pretend you’re not interested. As for why I’m allowed to negotiate for them, I’m the lead singer’s girlfriend, her favorite one, which is just another reason that she’ll be great for marketing. After all, what straight man or lesbian woman doesn’t love the idea of a woman that isn’t afraid of a little fun?” Lavey asked, grinning as Ilesha waved at her from the stage.

“And you’ve been given permission to negotiate for them?” he asked uncertainly.

“Wouldn’t you want me to negotiate on your behalf?” Lavey asked, raising an eyebrow and glancing at him.

“Thirteen.”

“Five.”

“No.”

“Too bad. You see them up there? Great performers, the lot of them. Not to mention you’ve got three singers in the group,” Lavey waved her hand and Ilesha recognized the signal. The next song that came up was for Akio, who let his eyes fall shut as he sang into the microphone.

“Twelve.”

“No.”

“Eleven. Final offer.”

“You don’t seem to know what that means in negotiations. You’ve said it several times, and yet the percentage keeps dropping. Five.”

“Five is just… just  **_insane_ ** !”

“Thank you, I do aim for consistency,” Lavey said, still watching the band perform.

“I mean it. Ten.”

“I just said I aim for consistency, and that applies to the percentage as well. Five.”

“How about nine?”

“You haven’t even  _ heard _ Saffron up there sing. You should hear it, it’s great, especially for a bass player. Oh, and did I mention that that is the  _ same _ Saffron Adel that won the Vytle Tournament for team RSCC? The Saffron Adel that beat up every opponent she faced and people have been trying to get commercial deals with while she  _ still _ isn’t a rock star?” Lavey offered. “You better act fast, cause I’m starting to talk myself into asking for four.”

“Eight.”

“Nope! Can we just cut to the end where you agree to five and sign this paper? Cause I’m kinda missing the gig and I wanted to hear my girlfriend sing uninterrupted by your horrible negotiating.”

“I’m getting real sick and tired of you insulting me during this!” the man snapped.

“Really? Cause I’m still enjoying it. Maybe I should go and insult Mrs. Firth and bully her into five percent. Now hurry up and make a decision.”

Lavey pointed across the bar to where her second choice agent was sitting.

“Seven.”

“No.”

“Six.”

“Come on, we’re almost there, just give me that last percent and you can be the official agent of the Adax Band.”

There was a long beat of silence as the agent stared at her, eyes darting to his fellow agent for just a moment before he sighed.

“Fine. Fine!”

Lavey grinned.

“Great! Sign and initial right where I showed you.”

Lavey slid the papers over to him, putting a pen in his hand and tapping the document irritably.

She waited until he’d done as asked, and then Lavey took the paper quickly, holding it against her chest.

“Pleasure doing business! We’ll be in touch.”

Lavey took off into the crowd before he had the chance to realize what had just happened.

Lavey skidded to a stop in front of the stage, beaming up at Ilesha.

She couldn’t wait to tell her what she’d gotten for her. Ilesha was going to be  _ so _ excited.


	32. Morning Of

“Thank Dust we’re going to get to go, even though you two brought our score down,” Colby said, glancing at Saffron and Rosemary.

Rosemary’s tail twitched and she let out a sigh, but she didn’t say anything. She was used to it at this point.

Saffron, on the other hand, whirled around, eyes blazing with anger.

“ **We** brought the score down?! You’re lucky you get to come with, considering you looked like a chicken running around with its head cut off out there!” Saffron snapped.

Colby flinched but met her glare. Saffron’s tail was flicking behind her irritably.

From his satchel, Colby could feel one of his arrows starting to heat up. It made him gulp in fear. When Saffron got angry as of late, sometimes her Semblance would “accidentally” turn on and cause nearby Dust to explode.

Colby backed down, looking away, and Saffron took a deep, calming breath. Rosemary put her hand on top of Saffron’s shoulder.

Saffron looked away, giving her sister the smallest of smiles before she turned around and started to stalk out of the room.

She swung the door open with great force, causing a familiar voice to cry out in shock.

Saffron caught the door just before it could hit Jin in the face.

Jin poked her head around the door, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Saffron.

“Sorry about that,” Saffron said, giving her a smirk.

Jin chuckled a bit, tucking a bit of hair behind her ear.

“It’s alright. You didn’t even hit me,” Jin said, shrugging.

“Couldn’t ruin that face of yours,” Saffron said, closing the door just as Colby tried to walk through, hitting him face first.

Jin didn’t seem to notice, rolling her eyes at Saffron’s words.

“You excited?” she whispered, falling into step beside Saffron as they headed toward the front exit of the school.

Teams RSCC, LAAC, JARR, and IMCA had all been accepted to leave the school for a joint mission to clean up a sector of Vale with far too many Grimm. It wasn’t supposed to be too dangerous, which was why only one school official was going to come watch. Although, that school official was the headmistress, if only so that she didn’t interfere. After all, all of the other school officials were related to at least  _ one _ of the children being sent out on the mission.

Saffron glanced at Jin as the two walked.

“I saw that Romy came to the gig last night,” Saffron whispered.

“Yeah. Romelle wouldn’t even look at her though.”

“I figured.”

“They’re not even talking telepathically anymore. I don’t know what happened,” Jin whispered, huffing to herself and crossing her arms.

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out and fix it. You’re good at that,” Saffron said, putting her hand on top of Jin’s bicep and giving her a grin.

Jin’s arms fell to her side and she laughed bashfully, glancing over at Saffron.

“Thanks, Saff.”

“My pleasure.”

Ilesha slammed the door open, and Saffron grabbed Jin, tugging her back.

Jin almost fell in shock, staring down at Saffron, who was looking around her to glare at Ilesha.

“Hey! Be more careful next time,” Saffron growled.

Jin flushed a bit, but she forced herself to speak.

“Didn’t you almost hit me a minute ago?”

“Yeah, but only because someone pissed me off. You know I have anger issues,” Saffron said with a grin.

Jin was about to reply, but she could practically  _ hear _ Ilesha buzzing behind her.

“Ilesha?”

“Yeah?!”

“How many energy drinks did you drink?” Jin asked quietly.

“Yes!”

“That’s not an answer!” Jin snapped.

“I drank all of the ones I had!” Ilesha called, dashing down the hall toward where she had seen Lavey and Crystal.

“There were  **twelve** cases last time I counted!” Jin yelled.

“She woke up ten minutes ago,” Akio said, watching his team leader race down the hallway.

“How did she drink all of those in ten minutes?!” Jin cried.

“It was horrifying,” Cooper muttered.

“You know how pythons unhinge their jaws to eat their prey? That’s what it looked like, but in drink form,” Akio said, shaking his head. “And then she stabbed the outlet again. Almost caused another blackout.”

“How is she dressed? And packed!” Saffron cried.

“It took her less than a minute,” Mavros muttered. “It was… horrifying.”

Saffron looked at Ilesha’s team with wide eyes.

“How-”

Jin put her hand on Saffron’s arm and shook her head.

“I’ve learned to not question how she does things. It just leads to headaches. Sometimes from maise.”

Saffron raised an eyebrow.

“I  **did** hear about how you got tased first semester. There’s a rumor going around that Akio got it on his scroll… maybe that’d be a fun watch,” Saffron said, bumping her side against Jin’s playfully.

“No!” Jin cried quickly, eyes going wide.

“I  **do** have it on video, if you want to watch,” Akio said, reaching into his pocket to grab his scroll, which he waved inticingly in front of Saffron.

Jin reached her hand out to grab it, but Akio teleported away.

“Message me if you want it!” Akio called down the hall.

“Don’t,” Jin said quickly, glancing at Saffron.

Saffron considered, rubbing her chin in thought.

“I’ll consider it.”

Jin groaned sufferingly.

Meanwhile, ahead of them, Ilesha had skidded to a stop beside Lavey and Crystal.

“Hi!” she said excitedly, grinning down at them. “I was looking for you two! There was something I wanted to tell you two!”

“And that is?” Crystal asked irritably, her tail flicking behind her. Ilesha had noticed she did that a lot in the mornings.

“If I die out there today-”

“What?!” Crystal cried, eyes flashing open.

“You’re not dying!” Lavey snapped.

Ilesha waved her hand dismissively, as if to say that didn’t matter in the slightest.

“Point is, if I  _ do _ die out there, there’s only one thing I want before I go.”

Lavey and Crystal both rolled their eyes sufferingly.

“What?” Crystal asked finally, shaking her head.

“I want one last kiss from each of you before I go,” Ilesha said dramatically.

“Yeah, that’s not happening. I’m not honoring your dying wish because you’re not dying,” Lavey said, crossing her arms.

Crystal, however, was blushing. She glanced over at Ilesha, her tail awkwardly swishing behind her.

“Well, it… it would be  _ rude _ not to honor her wish, Lavey,” Crystal said, giving Ilesha the barest of smiles.

Lavey rolled her eyes as Crystal leaned closer to Ilesha, eyes fluttering shut.

Ilesha grinned in excitement and bent down, her hair crackling with electricity as she moved closer.

Lavey’s eyes widened in shock and she reached behind her.

Lavey grabbed Auburn by the wrist and then promptly shoved him toward Crystal and Ilesha.

“Connect them!” she hissed.

“Already?”

“Yes!” Lavey growled.

Auburn reached out and put a hand on both Crystal and Ilesha’s arms, connecting them just a moment before Ilesha kissed Crystal.

Auburn made a quiet sound of disgust and backed away.

Meanwhile, Crystal made a sound of shock, eyes going wide as Ilesha wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Meanwhile, electricity shot from Ilesha’s lips to Crystal’s.

Crystal’s tail immediately poofed, almost becoming audible to Lavey’s ears, and the fur on it started to glow.

When Ilesha pulled back, smiling down at Crystal goofily, Crystal was jittery.

“What just happened?!” she cried. Her voice had far more energy than it did earlier, and she brought her hand down from where it was looped around Ilesha’s neck.

Her hand was shaking uncontrollably, and she cried out in shock.

Ilesha giggled, her hair continuing to crackle with little bursts of lightning.

“You just absorbed some of my electricity! Aw, your tail is  _ so cute _ !” Ilesha cooed.

Crystal looked behind her, eyes going wide when she saw her own tail. She grabbed it and ran a hand through it, trying to smooth the fur down. It didn’t work, and she squealed in shock when electricity started to crackle through it.

“What’s going on?!” Crystal hissed.

“I had Auburn connect your Semblances so you didn’t  _ die _ from electricity,” Lavey said, waving her hand dismissively. “No need to thank me.”

Ilesha was practically bouncing up and down as she looked over at Lavey.

“Oooh! I have to show you my Semblance too!” Ilesha said, leaning down toward Lavey.

Lavey scrambled backward.

“No way! You’re not shocking me!”

Auburn smirked and reached out his hand, putting his hand on Lavey’s shoulder.

She was instantly connected, and Ilesha  _ beamed _ in excitement.

Ilesha reached out and grabbed Lavey by the hips, lifting her into the air and connecting their lips.

Lavey’s eyes widened in shock as electricity shot into her, causing her crimson red hair to turn hot pink. Her hair stuck up at odd angles, and even Crystal, who was still trying to calm down the fur on her tail and hadn’t even attempted to fix her messed up braid, burst out laughing.

Laughter echoed down the hall as everyone stared at Lavey.

Ilesha set her down gently, giggling in excitement.

“I like the hair,” Ilesha said, reaching her hand down to ruffle it a bit, sending electricity shooting through Lavey’s hot pink locks.

Jin had already doubled over as she laughed, Saffron leaning on her back as she stared at Lavey.

“Jinny!” Ilesha cried, turning to face her friend. “You want some?!”

Jin took a moment to stop laughing, wiping at her eyes.

“Not that way.”

Saffron glanced between the two, her eyes narrowing just a bit as her demeanor sobered.

“Oh, it doesn’t have to be!” Ilesha said quickly. “Besides, I like short girls!”

Ilesha skipped over to Jin, Crystal and Lavey suddenly realizing what she had said.

“Hey!” they cried together, glaring at her.

Ilesha just giggled, giving them a wink before she went to put her hand on Jin, who had just been connected by Auburn.

Jin made a sound of shock as electricity shot into her. Her long blond started to glow, much like Yang’s own did, and she could hear the electricity crackling above her ears.

“Does… does it seriously not hurt at all?!” Jin hissed.

“Nope!” Ilesha said, swaying back and forth with a grin on her face.

“That’s  _ so unfair _ !” Jin cried.

Saffron had a hand in front of her mouth, trying to stop herself from laughing, but it didn’t work.

Jin glanced at her, flushing a bit.

“Oh yeah?! Let’s see how you’d look. I’m sure that tail of yours won’t frizz out at  _ all _ ,” Jin said, raising an eyebrow.

Auburn stepped toward Saffron, but she shook her head, holding up her hands in front of her.

“No can do, Aubs. I’m not exactly a ‘sharing is caring’ kinda person,” Saffron said.

“Aw, come on, think about how super powered you’d be with  _ all _ our Semblances,” Jin said, giving her a small smile. “I mean, you’re already pretty overpowered, but think about it.”

“Nope! None of you could handle my Semblance anyways,” Saffron said.

Jin raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. Her demeanor was ruined when her hair crackled above her head.

“Is that what you think?” Jin asked.

Saffron’s eyes lost a little bit of their shine.

“Sometimes even  _ I _ can’t handle my Semblance, so I don’t want any of you trying to practice with it on the battlefield.”

Jin suddenly frowned, her arms going lax as she looked at Saffron.

“You okay?” she whispered.

Saffron, who had been staring straight ahead, jumped and looked over at Jin, giving her a broad grin.

“I’m great, Jin, you don’t have to worry about me.”

Saffron walked down the hallway, her tail hanging behind her without the normal excitable swinging.

Jin frowned and watched her go.

“But I do…,” she whispered.


	33. The Fight

This… wasn’t exactly what had been expected.

Though, Saffron guessed that was a bit of an understatement, which was highlighted as an arrow flew past her head.

_ Hey, watch where you’re shooting! _ Saffron growled in her head.

She didn’t get a response from her brother, but she didn’t expect to either.

Saffron glanced around the group and winced. She was rather confident in the competence of her friends, but she was still nervous.

After all, it wasn’t everyday that you fought your first… well, Saffron wasn’t sure exactly  _ what _ to call this thing. After all, Saffron had skipped most of the first semester. You couldn’t blame her for not knowing what to call this thing!

So, eventually, she decided to call it a dragon Grimm.

And she  _ hated _ this thing.

_ / _

_ Ilesha took off at a sprint. _

Oh, I  **love** this telepathy thing! I forgot how great it was! _ Ilesha thought in all of their heads. _

I forgot how annoying you were with telepathy _ , Romy thought. _

_ Romelle sent her sister a scathing glare, and Romy quickly looked away from her. _

Wait, where are we going? _ Akio thought as he chased after his team leader. _

_ Mavros and Cooper took off after their teammates without complaint, used to their chaotic nature. _

Wait, are they going out of the circle? _ Lavey thought worriedly. Before she could consider it longer, she took off after her girlfriend, Crystal at her heels. The circle was the circle that the four teams were supposed to stay within to make sure that they didn’t fight any Grimm that were… too dangerous. Just in case, Glynda had trackers on each of them. Ilesha had thought they were candy at first, and Jin had smacked it out of her hand before she could eat it. _

_ Ilesha had needed a new device. _

_ Auburn took off after her worriedly, wondering how far his Semblance could reach the group that was starting to spread thin. Adolpha was at his side, wanting to keep her team safe, especially since Lavey seemed a bit distracted by Ilesha right now. _

_ Romelle had immediately noticed that team LAAC was on the move, and she had sent a quick message to her team letting them know she was going to follow after and provide support. _

Get back here! We’re sticking together! _ Jin called, racing after the little gremlin. _

Looks like we’re leaving the circle. I knew we would eventually! _ Aella called, leaping into the air and using the wind to carry her. _

_ Romy didn’t respond, but she followed after her team. _

_ That left just team RSCC standing alone in the circle. _

_ Saffron went onto the tips of her toes to watch who had run off, and her eyes widened when she saw team JARR race off. _

I’m going to go make sure they don’t get themselves killed _ , Saffron thought before she sprinted off, using Gravity Dust in her boots to lengthen her strides. _

_ Rosemary took a moment to consider before she shrugged, taking off at a sprint after her sister. _

Come on, might as well! _ she thought. _

_ Clover grinned at the exchange before he ran after them as well. _

Might as well make sure that one powerful person comes along, _ Colby thought. _

_ Saffron glared as she ran, her foot twitching midair. _

_ Colby cried out as he tripped over a rock that Saffron had raised from the ground. _

Oh no, did you trip our brother? Oh, Saff, how dare you? _ Rosemary thought. _

_ She gave Saffron a smirk and a wink, which made her laugh. _

_ And they were off, out of the circle to see what they could find! _

_ And Glynda went to stop them, but suddenly her trackers went dead. _

_ Ilesha and the others sharing her electricity Semblance were messing with her trackers. _

_ She had no idea where they had gone. _

_ She was so dead. _

_ The group of sixteen raced out of the circle, on the hunt for some Grimm to fight. They were trying to protect this town, after all, so they might as well do the best job that they could. _

_ Before Ilesha had gotten very far, she heard the loud sound of flapping wings. For a moment, it reminded her of her Aunt Natalie, but it was far louder than her aunt had ever been when she flew. _

_ She looked up and her eyes widened in shock as she saw a large Grimm, which resembled a dragon, flying down toward their group. _

_ Ilesha reached down to get her shmazer, but quickly realized that  _ **_that_ ** _ weapon wouldn’t be very effective against this creature. She grabbed her shield instead. _

**_This_ ** _ was going to be difficult. _

_ / _

Rosemary slid her knives into place.

_ Pull! _ Colby shouted.

Rosemary turned off her Semblance and an arrow shot forward, hitting the Grimm in the chest and exploding a moment later. Rosemary shot forward at full speed, using a bit of Lavey’s kinetic energy reserves to power her movements, and used Fire Dust as she cut the creature’s right leg, causing it to scream loudly.

Rosemary looked around for a moment, wanting to see where her sister had gone. Typically, Saffron was zooming around the battlefield, her movements impossible to predict by anyone but Rosemary, who understood how her sister’s mind worked.

Instead, she was still on the ground, odd for her considering this was such a large Grimm, and she was situated beside Jin, the two fighting side by side.

Suddenly, Saffron’s eyes lit up in excitement, and Rosemary cursed under her breath, wondering what her sister could be cooking up. In the meantime, she whistled shrilly.

_ Akio! _ she called in their heads.

Akio teleported to her side, raising an eyebrow in question.

She smirked and grabbed his waist.

_ I have a plan. _

-

Saffron spun on her heel, planting her boot against the ground firmly and causing a large bit of the ground beneath the Grimm.

It stumbled, and Saffron faced Jin with a small smirk.

“Jin, do you happen to have any excess Dust on you?” she asked.

“Uh, maybe?” Jin said, starting to pat herself down with one hand while she held her hammer with the other.

_ Don’t bother, I know you do, _ Saffron said, twitching her finger and causing a piece of Dust that had been in Jin’s pocket to come floating out.

_ Now watch and be impressed, _ Saffron thought.

Jin raised an eyebrow.

_ You know, _ Jin watched the phantom version of the Grimm’s claw slash through Saffron,  _ you should really work on being a better team player. _

Jin swung her hammer and hit the creature’s claw before it could take Saffron in the back.

_ Oh no, I don’t need a team, _ Saffron smirked at her, _ you just distracted me. _

_ I didn’t say anything. _

“Didn’t have to,” Saffron whispered before she stomped one foot against the ground, activating the Gravity Dust in both of her boots and soaring into the air. “You’re distracting on your own!”

Saffron spun in midair with ease, using a burst of wind from her glove, and Jin watched with a raised eyebrow, wondering what she was going to do next.

The Dust she had taken from Jin, a piece of Electricity Dust, hovered above her palm, and she let her finger twitch, causing the Dust to go zooming across the field.

_ Don’t hit Colby! _ Jin warned as Saffron directed her Dust suspiciously close to her brother.

Saffron rolled her eyes and caused it to zip underneath his legs as he ducked under an attack.

_ Killjoy. _

The Dust then looped around behind the Grimm, striking it in the back and causing it to scream in pain.

Saffron then dropped to the ground and shot forward, using the Gravity Dust to take quicker steps, and then leapt up, planting her hand against the Grimm’s chest.

_ Someone mind giving me a bit of backup? _ Saffron called.

_ You always need backup, _ Rosemary thought.

_ Not true, _ Saffron called.

_ I’ve got her, _ Jin sent, raising her hammer and taking off at full speed. She used a burst of Aella’s Semblance to shoot her into the air, and she blocked a swing from the Grimm’s arm before it could hit Saffron.

Saffron, hand still planted on the creature’s chest, grinned at Jin and gave her a wink before she tugged on the Dust behind the creature’s back.

It cried out as the Dust started to dig into its back.

It started to cut through the chest, and the Grimm screamed, the sound so high pitched that Colby and Adolpha both stopped, covering their ears with both hands and trying to avoid any other attacks.

Lavey immediately leapt away from Ilesha, who was laughing maniacally as she shot electricity toward the creature while it was distracted by Saffron.

Lavey threw herself in front of Adolpha and absorbed a hit from the creature’s leg, which was thrashing back and forth as it tried in vain to grab Saffron. Lavey was sent flying backward toward Adolpha, who let go of her ears in time to catch Lavey and stop her from hitting the ground.

Lavey grunt and pushed off of Adolpha before she took off to help Crystal, who was trying to keep one of the Grimm’s legs from thrashing too much and hitting Auburn, who was just standing in the middle of the battlefield. Lavey yelled at him to do something, and he flinched at her voice in his head, cradling his forehead with one hand as he sunk down to his knees.

Lavey used the kinetic energy she had saved from helping Adolpha to slam her bo staff against the creature’s leg. This caused it to shriek even louder, struggling against everyone as they attempted to hold it down.

Aella swooped down from above as the creature tried to swat at Saffron with its other arm.

_ Hurry up, Saff! _ Aella called in their minds.

Akio and Rosemary teleported above the Grimm’s head and Akio dropped her, teleporting to safe ground to watch with worry.

Rosemary dropped down and grabbed the creature’s head in both hands, trying to stab at its eyes.

Cooper, in the meantime, was trying to position himself underneath Saffron to catch her, just in case she fell, and Mavros was right beside Cooper.

Ilesha was still struggling to keep one leg down as it thrashed.

Clover was going to help Colby, who was about to get hit by a claw, but then skidded to a stop when he saw Auburn on the ground.

He looked between the two boys for a moment before he raced off, skidding across the ground as he reached Auburn, grabbing the other boy in his hands and pulling him into his lap, whispering kind words as he looked around for any oncoming attack.

His eyes widened and he reached out with one hand.

_ ADOLPHA! _ he screamed at full volume in their heads.  _ LOOK OUT! _

Adolpha spun, her eyes widening as she saw the creature’s tail swinging toward her.

She was used to her Semblance alerting her to things like this before they happened, but with the possibilities so split between them all, she hadn’t seen it coming.

She raised her hooked swords and tried to throw herself out of the way, but she knew it was too late. She was going to get hit with the full force of the tail, which was fueled with the creature’s fear and anger at what Saffron was doing. That would  _ definitely _ be enough to break her Aura if not… worse.

Meanwhile, Romelle had been helping Crystal and Lavey restrict one of the legs, but as soon as she saw the tail raise, her eyes shot to Adolpha. The ticking in her head was louder than it had been all day, and she knew that something was going to go wrong. And the worst thing that could happen was…

She left her post, even as Lavey and Crystal yelled for her to stay and help.

Romelle shot across the battlefield, using all of the reserves that Lavey had distributed to her when their Semblances had connected. She also used Aella’s Semblance to cause her to move even quicker.

She threw herself against Adolpha and tackled her to the ground.

The tail soared just over them, brushing Romelle’s hair just a bit. She didn’t notice, and wouldn’t have cared if she had, and was staring down at Adolpha worriedly.

“Are you alright?” Romelle asked, her voice almost cracking with worry.

Adolpha blinked up at her in shock.

“Uh… yeah, I’m… yeah I’m alright. Thank you,” Adolpha whispered.

“I told you,” Romelle said softly, “anything for you, Adolpha.”

Behind the two of them, Lavey and Crystal had lost control of one of the legs, which caused the dragon Grimm to flail to and fro, gaining momentum and freeing its other leg from Ilesha and Romy.

Romy was sent flying and Colby was hit by the tail after it swung over Adolpha and Romelle, sending him flying several dozen feet. His Aura broke immediately.

Romelle and Adolpha didn’t notice what was happening until Jin was thrown asunder by one of the arms, causing Saffron to curse and drop down to the ground.

Saffron had been able to cut most of the way through the exoskeleton and if she had just had a few more seconds… but she hadn’t, and she’d have to work around what had happened.

She dashed across the ground, pulling the Electricity Dust into her hand as she ran.

She skidded to a stop next to Ilesha.

_ Il, I’m going to need you to trust me and stand  _ **_very, very_ ** _ still. _

_ I’m very good at both of those things! _ Ilesha thought, grinning at her friend.

Saffron took a deep breath before she raised her hand and clapped it against Ilesha’s shoulder.

The Dust exploded when she activated, the electricity shooting into Ilesha while Saffron grimaced.

Ilesha made a sound of shock, and even with her eyes closed, Saffron could see the glowing light that now came from her friend.

She blinked her eyes open, staring in disbelief as Ilesha stood there, buzzing with energy. Her hair was no longer blond, but a brilliant shade of white that glowed like the sun itself. Ilesha brought her hands up toward her face, finding that both were shaking. The electricity crackled between her fingers, and Saffron took a step backward as Ilesha started to shake even further.

Meanwhile, Romy was picking herself up again, stumbling a little. She clutched her head with one hand as she started to prepare to fight.

Adolpha had just gotten up, still thanking Romelle profusely in her mind as she shot toward the battle, but she skidded to a stop when she saw that Romy was about to get hit with the Grimm’s leg, which swung toward her in Adolpha’s phantom vision.

She took off at top speed, dashing toward her friend.

Romy cried out in shock when Adolpha tackled her to the ground, the leg swinging over both of their heads.

_ Adolpha, what the fu- _

Romy’s eyes widened as the leg swung over them, and Adolpha looked down at her in concern.

“Are you okay?” Adolpha whispered.

Romy nodded mutely.

Adolpha gave her a small smile before she pushed herself to her feet and turned to face the fight.

Romy watched as Adolpha sprinted back into battle, stopping at Romelle’s side and protecting her from a stray claw that almost took her in the side.

Ilesha looked over at Saffron, who held one of her hands in her other one, hissing in pain.

“Are you-”

“I’m fine,” Saffron said immediately, dropping her hand. She spun to face Ilesha, holding out her hands. “But I’m going to need you to not electrocute me.”

Ilesha considered for a moment.

“I’m not as good at that thing.”

_ I’ve noticed, _ Saffron thought, rolling her eyes.

She grabbed Ilesha anyways.

_ Hold on. _

Saffron used the Gravity Dust in her boots and took off into the air. Ilesha let out a whoop in excitement.

Saffron positioned them above the Grimm and then held out Ilesha with both hands, as if she was some sort of weapon that she could just use on the Grimm.

_ EVERYONE OUT OF THE WAY! _ Saffron screamed in their minds.

The rest of them scrambled out of the way and then Saffron turned her attention away from their friends and onto Ilesha.

_ Alright. Do your thing. _

Ilesha  **beamed** in excitement and nodded.

Saffron dropped her a moment before Ilesha shone with light. She hovered in midair for just a moment as the electricity poured out of her in waves, slamming against the Grimm.

It cried out in shock and Ilesha started to fall, her hair turning brown as she tumbled to the ground.

The Grimm disappeared into smoke, and Saffron immediately dropped down, using her Gravity Dust to draw herself toward the ground faster, and caught Ilesha a moment before she could hit the ground.

Saffron landed gently, Ilesha still in her arms, and turned to look at her friends.

She was about to say something, but Crystal and Lavey dashed up to her, taking their girlfriend from her. Crystal made a soothing sound to Ilesha while Lavey glared at Saffron like she hadn’t just saved Ilesha from hitting the ground. She half expected Crystal to hiss at her, but thankfully that didn’t happen.

Lavey put her hand on top of Ilesha’s own before she closed her eyes, letting the electricity flow out of her and into Ilesha. Crystal followed her lead after a moment, and Ilesha’s eyes fluttered open, her hair a dirty blond color now.

“Hey!” Ilesha said, though she stopped to cough. “Did I kill it?”

Lavey chuckled, running her hand through Ilesha’s hair and not caring when it electrocuted her a bit.

“Yeah, you killed it,” Crystal said.

Ilesha giggled weakly.

“Awesome.”

Crystal and Lavey helped her to her feet, both staying at her side like little crutches underneath her arms. They were the perfect height for it, actually.

Saffron turned to look at the rest of them, but she was immediately met with Jin, who threw herself at her, hugging her tightly.

“Don’t do anything that stupid  _ ever again, _ you hear me?” Jin asked, pulling back just enough to look her in the eyes.

Saffron grinned back at her, reaching one hand up to put on Jin’s arm as she looked back at her.

“I probably will do something  _ more _ stupid than that in the near future, Jin.”

Jin huffed and rolled her eyes, though there was a small smile on her face.

“Just… just be careful, alright?”

“I’ll try, just for you,” Saffron said, giving her a wink.

Jin flushed and rolled her eyes.

“At least it worked. I mean, you pretty much killed it single-handedly,” Jin said, giving her a small, shy smile.

Saffron shook her head, leaning just a bit closer.

“You’re the one that gave me the Dust, so really you’re the one that should be the one that gets all the credit.”

Jin was about to respond, but they were both distracted when they saw two limp forms.

Colby was laying on the ground, motionless.

“Oh Dust,” Saffron muttered.

She took off, forgetting Jin behind her, and skidded to a stop.

“Auburn, are you alright?!” she cried, looking down at Auburn, who was held in Clover’s arms.

Auburn tried to sit up more, but he groaned, coughing.

“Fine. I’m fine,” he forced out.

Colby tried to force himself to his feet, crying out, and Saffron ignored the sound, turning to Auburn.

“Do you need my help?” Saffron asked Clover, reaching one hand up to take her glove off before setting it on Auburn.

“I’ve got him,” Clover whispered. “He just pushed himself a bit too far.”

Saffron nodded and turned, about to put her glove back on, but she stopped.

Jin moved closer to Saffron.

“Saff, your brother-”

“Is probably fine,” Saffron said, reaching her gloveless hand to put on Jin’s forearm. “Thanks for checking on me though. Now how about we get out of here because our headmistress is definitely going to kill us.”

“That Grimm couldn’t finish the job, but she could?” Jin asked.

“Obviously! Have you seen that woman? Horrifying!” Saffron said, shivering for dramatic effect.

She pulled away from Jin and then put her glove back on, walking toward the circle.

Jin watched her go with a small, fond smile on her face.

A small Grimm raced toward Saffron, who raised her hand, not looking at it, and shot fire from her glove.

“What a woman,” Jin muttered to herself.

“Who?” Lavey asked, raising an eyebrow as she walked past, helping Ilesha toward the circle.

Jin flushed and shook her head.

“Nothing.”

Crystal and Lavey shared a look before they both smirked.

“Alright,” they said together in a sing-song voice. They then glanced at each other before their eyes widened.

“We’re spending too much time with Ilesha,” Lavey muttered.

“Definitely.”

Ilesha giggled as they walked off, not trying to get out of their grip, even if she was now perfectly capable of walking on her own. They didn’t need to know that.

Meanwhile, Akio was shepherding Rosemary off of the battlefield as if worried she was going to start falling from the sky again. She laughed and rolled her eyes at his worry, trying to push him off her playfully.

The group walked back to the circle, the majority of them recounting the battle with excited grins and laughs, though many were checking on Auburn still, and Saffron kept offering to carry him.


	34. The Apology

Auburn shifted in his bed to look at his visitors that had come to see him.

It was pretty much everyone he knew, but there were only a select few that he wanted to talk to.

Saffron and Rosemary had brought him flowers, which were set on his bedside table, and he glanced over at them for a moment, giving the two sisters a small smile.

Saffron waved at him, her hands still covered in the usual thick black gloves that clung to her wrist, and he waved back weakly.

Rosemary and Saffron were some of the nicest people he had ever met, considering they hardly ever made fun of him. He assumed that was because they themselves had been made fun of a lot when they were younger and could likely relate to the stuff he had gone through, considering their brother.

Speaking of Colby, Auburn wondered if anyone had visited him. Considering all of Auburn’s friends were in here, he assumed that they weren’t.

Auburn wanted to feel bad, but at the moment, he didn’t.

Clover, one of the few that was consistently nice to him, reached out and put his hand on top of Auburn’s own, giving him a worried look.

“Are you feeling alright?” he whispered.

“Yeah, like I said a few minutes ago when you asked, I’m fine,” Auburn said playfully, squeezing Clover’s hand with his own.

“I’m sorry we let you get hurt out there,” Jin said gently, “I didn’t know you got hit.”

“It’s not your fault, really,” Auburn said to his sister, giving her a small smile.

“Yeah, I don’t even know what happened, he just kinda stood in the middle of the battlefield,” Lavey said, staring down at him. “It was weird.”

Clover’s hand clenched around Auburn’s, but Auburn pulled him closer and shook his head.

Clover took a deep breath.

“Yeah, what happened? You just kind of collapsed,” Adolpha asked gently, setting her hand on his leg gently.

“He pushed himself too far,” Clover said, his voice a hair away from being a growl.

Lavey glanced at him.

“You did?” Lavey asked, staring at Auburn. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because-”

“Clov, it’s alright,” Auburn said, cutting in quickly.

“No!” Clover snapped, tearing his hand out of Auburn’s. “No, it’s not alright! It’s  _ never _ been ‘alright,’ Aub!”

He spun to face their friends, addressing everyone in the room, excluding Jin, Saffron, Rosemary, Ilesha, and Cooper.

“This is what you do! This is what you  **always** do!” Clover screamed, his voice echoing off of the walls around them. “You ignore Auburn until you need him, and then you use him without thinking about what  _ he _ needs! You don’t know what happened to him because you  _ didn’t pay attention! _ You never pay attention! Because you all didn’t pay attention to him, my boyfriend almost  _ died _ out there because none of you-”

Clover suddenly cut himself off, eyes going wide.

_ My boyfriend. _

The words echoed through the room and everyone’s mind.

His what?

Nobody said anything, nobody moved, and it was quite possible that nobody even breathed.

Auburn stopped, staring at his boyfriend in disbelief. They had agreed that they were going to be secret for a while. They’d been dating since right before the first semester, the day before actually, and they had confessed right before entering the forest the first day. Auburn had been trying to find Clover in the forest when he had been perched in the tree, but had instead fallen on top of Crystal.

“A-and… and you all owe him an apology… for… for all the years that you-”

“You two are dating?!” Lavey cried finally.

“Yes! Is that such a hard thing to believe?!” Clover snapped. “That someone could like Auburn-”

“What?! No, it’s just…,” Ilesha held up her hands and made squishing motions. “Height difference. It’s just… huh.”

“Isn’t Lavey eleven inches shorter than you?” Clover asked, completely derailed by Ilesha’s comment. He couldn’t be mad at her, considering she had never been mean to Auburn or made fun of him…

“But Auburn’s well over a foot shorter than you,” Ilesha said, her head tilted to the side just a bit in confusion. “Do you… like, pick him up? I mean I know you’re all muscle-y, but doesn’t that hurt your arms? Picking up Lav-Lav or Stally hurts my arms sometimes, but they’re just so tiny and cute, right?”

Lavey and Crystal were both blushing and glaring at her, but Ilesha didn’t seem to notice, considering she was, quite literally, talking over their heads.

“Yes, sometimes I pick him up, but usually I just sit down or lay down next to him, but....,” Clover shook his head to clear his mind, “that’s not the point! The point is, you treat Auburn like he’s not a human! Like he’s some sort of…  _ object _ that you can ridicule and demean! I’ve sat by and watched you treat him like this for too long, and I’m finally going to say something about it!”

There was a moment of silence.

“So like on the bed or on the floor-”

“Illy, sweetie, I love you, but you gotta drop it,” Clover said immediately.

Ilesha nodded quickly, falling back beside Rosemary.

Suddenly, her head picked up again.

“Wait are you mad at me or not because I can’t tell who you’re yelling at-”

“These,” Clover angrily gestured at the majority of the people in the room, “are the people I’m mad at. You,” he gestured at Rosemary, Saffron, Cooper, Jin, and Ilesha, “are angels and the world does not deserve you, but I  _ really _ need you to stop talking right now.”

“Got it.”

There was another long moment of silence, and Clover glanced over at Ilesha as if wondering if she was going to ruin it again. She didn’t.

“Aub, look, I’m… I’m sorry that I hurt your feelings,” Lavey said finally. “I never thought-”

“About anyone but yourself?” Clover asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lavey flinched.

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Auburn shook his head and sat up, almost falling over.

“Oh! I got it!” Ilesha cried, jumping over to catch him and cradling him gently in her arms. Her eyes widened. “Oh! Right, no talking. I’ll be quiet now.”

“Lav, that’s not fair, you’re  _ always _ thinking about other people. It’s just… sometimes, you do tend to… be a little bit tough on me, and I know I des-”

Lavey reached down and put her hand on his arm.

“No, I’m sorry, please forgive me.”

Auburn teared up and nodded.

“O-okay.”

Ilesha opened her mouth to coo about how cute the exchange had been, but Clover reached over and put his hand over her mouth to stop her.

Ilesha nodded quickly, giving him an apologetic look, and Clover rolled his eyes fondly before removing his hand.

One by one, everyone that Clover had yelled up, and for some strange reason Ilesha, came up to apologize to Auburn for any harsh words they’d used on him over the years and promised to be nicer in the future.

Clover watched the entire thing with a fond smile and put his hand on Auburn’s shoulder when he started to tear up, wiping at his eyes.

Despite the numerous protective questions sent Clover’s way from Auburn’s brother and sisters, and the dozens of glares they got in return for such questions, it was a pretty good evening for Auburn!

Even if he had cried no less than five times. Lavey had even given him a tissue instead of insulting him for being a crybaby! Definitely a good day.


	35. The Story

Lavey was lounging on her bed, one hand hanging off of the side. Her fingers twitched a bit and Crystal glanced over, raising an eyebrow.

_ Now? _ She thought.

“Hey, Dolph,” Lavey called. “I was just wondering, are you going to ask out a twin? Crystal and I are planning on asking out Ilesha, just wondering what your plans are.”

Adolpha glanced over at Lavey from where she sat on her bed, her scroll in her hands.

She thought for a moment, frowning to herself.

“Ask Romy to the dance? No, I don’t want to ask her out, not after what she said about me,” Adolpha said, shrugging.

“What’d she say about you?” Lavey asked, sitting up suddenly with her eyes narrowing.

“You know that there’s more than one twin, right?” Crystal questioned, glancing over at her sister.

Adolpha froze, eyes going wide.

More than one twin? Well, yes, the word twin  _ did _ imply that there was more than one of them, but…

Taking one to the dance?

Lavey had gotten off of her bed and hurried over to Adolpha, waving a hand in front of her face to try and get her attention.

Adolpha didn’t notice, staring off into the distance.

Crystal meant a twin, but not… Romy.

So Romelle?

She had never considered asking  _ her _ to the dance, but now that she considered it…

She could almost imagine it. For years, Adolpha had wondered what it would be like to ask Romy to a dance at Beacon, but now that idea was almost disgusting…

But Romelle was… well, she was  _ different _ from her sister, even if they shared the same face.

And the idea of taking her instead of Romy was… well, Adolpha had to admit that it wasn’t repulsive, perhaps even… perhaps she even  _ liked _ the idea.

She and Romelle had been getting closer as of late, yes, and Adolpha had been messaging with her almost constantly since the winter break had started, but Adolpha hadn’t even considered looking at Romelle as anything more than a friend…

Then Crystal had said that, and she suddenly couldn’t get the idea out of her mind.

Romelle was nice, she was pretty, she was funny, and… well, Adolpha liked her as a person too.

Romelle was kinder than her sister, this was something that Adolpha had learned quite recently, and she guessed she rather liked that.

Taking Romelle to the dance…

The longer she thought about that, the more intriguing the possibility became.

Finally, Lavey put her hands on Adolpha’s shoulders and shook her violently back and forth.

“Dolph, stop having a gay awakening and talk to me,” Lavey said.

Adolpha jumped, her face flushing red.

“W-what? I’m not-”

“Just tell me what Romy said about you,” Lavey demanded.

Adolpha took a moment to think, having to push thoughts of Romelle from her mind to recall her twin in the slightest.

“Uh… just some mean stuff about me, nothing that’s super important. Romelle helped me afterward and I think I’m over it. And her, I mean… it was really mean, so it’s hard not to be,” Adolpha said, shrugging.

Lavey moved closer to her sister.

“Tell. Me.  **Everything** .”

Half an hour later, Adolpha had told the entire story, and Lavey was trying to storm out of the room with Crystal at her heels. Adolpha struggled to stop them, not wanting Romy to  _ die _ at the hands of her sisters.

She sent a quick message to Romelle to save her sister.

Romelle didn’t respond.


	36. Blind Sided

Akio took a drink of his water as he walked off of the stage. The Adax Band had been practicing for about an hour now, and they had finally finished.

Everyone was putting their instruments up, and Zohra was quietly talking to Ilesha.

“So, your girls asked you to the dance yet?” Zohra asked.

“No, not yet,” Ilesha said, shrugging. “I think I’m going to have to ask them.”

“Maybe hold off on that, they might be more reliable than you think,” Saffron said.

“Who’s everyone going with?” Zohra continued, glancing at her sister.

“Well, I think that Adolpha is going to ask Romy? I don’t know, that makes sense, right? I heard Lavey yelling about something earlier that Romy said, but I haven’t heard what it is that’s upsetting her,” Ilesha said, “what Jin’s doing is anyone’s guess… Romelle… well, we all know what Romelle wants to do. Clover and Auburn are going together, apparently, and they’re  _ so cute _ ! Like did you see them yesterday? Clover made him a little picnic in the infirmary… oh, they were so sweet! Oh, and then Crystal and Lavey are probably going to go with me. At least I hope they are… Dust, they didn’t say anything about going with anyone else, right?!”

Zohra smacked her sister on the arm to calm her down.

“Of course they’re going with you. Have you seen the way those two stare at you? Like you’re the stars in the sky. Anyone else have plans?” Zohra asked, glancing around the room.

“Uh… don’t think so?”

“How about Aella? She asking someone or…?”

“Uh, don’t think so? Why?”

“Just wondering, you mentioned everyone else,” Zohra said, shrugging.

“Oh, right, the dance, that reminds me,” Akio said, turning around. “Rose, you wanna go with me?”

“Sure,” Rosemary said, shrugging.

The room fell silent.

“Wait… what?!” Ilesha cried. “What just happened?!”

“I asked Rosemary to the dance and she said yes,” Akio said, shrugging.

“Yup,” Rosemary said, grabbing her keyboard and then starting to pack it up.

“What… I… when… huh?!” Ilesha cried.

“They’ve been dating for a little while now,” Saffron said, “started a little bit before the Christmas party.”

“AND YOU DIDN’T TELL US?!” Ilesha cried.

“Well, we didn’t want you to make a big deal out of it,” Akio said, shrugging. “You know that you guys have a tendency to overreact to stuff like this, so we thought we’d keep it quiet for a little while.”

Ilesha spun to face the rest of the band, throwing herself in front of the door to make sure that none of them left.

“You know that means we have one very important question, right?” Ilesha asked the group.

“Whose side we take if there’s drama in the band?” Zohra replied, raising an eyebrow disinterestedly as she watched her sister.

“Exactly! That means we have to take a vote right now on whose side we take! I vote Rose!” Ilesha cried.

“Rose,” Zohra agreed.

“Definitely,” Saffron said, patting Akio on the shoulder. “You’re a good kid, but you’re just not as good as her, sorry.”

Akio stared at his bandmates in shock, betrayal in his eyes.

“What?!”

“Rosemary, definitely,” Arlen said, giving Ilesha a grin as he neared the exit.

“Then it’s settled!” Ilesha cried. “We take Rosemary’s side if there’s drama and then kick Akio out of the band.”

“What?! What if she cheats on me or something?!” Akio cried.

“Then you probably had it coming, Kio. You should have treated her better,” Zohra said, smirking just slightly as she crossed her arms.

“Shame on you for making her find comfort in another man,” Saffron said, shaking her head with a disappointed look on her face.

“What?!” Akio cried.

“Oh, Rose, are you okay after the breakup?” Zohra asked gently, wrapping an arm around her.

“We didn’t break up!” Akio cried.

“Yeah, I’m hanging in there. I just can’t believe I’m going to have to see him at the dance, you know?” Rosemary said, barely holding back a smile.

“You’re seeing me at the dance because we’re going together!” Akio cried.

“See? And that just makes it harder,” Rosemary said, gesturing at her boyfriend.

Akio threw up his hands in frustration.

“Why did I agree to be a part of this band? It just means that you’re going to make fun of me and pick her side if she cheats on me. This is abuse, you know.”

“Yes, we do know,” Zohra said, giving him a wink before she turned on her heel and walked out of the room.

“Aw, cheer up, Kio, it’s alright, we’ll only  _ probably _ pick her side,” Ilesha said. “If she murders you in cold blood, then maybe we’ll turn her over to the cops.”

“ **Very** comforting,” Akio said sourly, rolling his eyes.

“Thanks!” Ilesha cried before she skipped out of the room, most of the band following after her.

“Aw, cheer up, babe. We’re not breaking up, so you don’t have any drama to worry about,” Rosemary said, leaning closer to her boyfriend and grabbing his hand.

Akio grumbled.

“You’re such a baby. Come on, how about we go out for lunch to make you feel better?” Rosemary offered, reaching up to poke his nose.

“You better pay after putting me through this.”

“And you see,  _ this _ is why they’d all take my side if we break up,” Rosemary said, dragging Akio out of the room with a grin.

Akio suddenly smirked.

“Well, I guess that’s just because you’re irresistible.”

Rosemary froze for a moment, glancing back at her boyfriend with the barest hint of a blush on her face.

“Did you just…?”

Akio gave her a wink before leading her out of the room.

Rosemary huffed.

It wasn’t fair, really. Either he should be a flirt or not. It wasn’t fair that he was both, depending on the moment.

Akio, on the other hand, seemed  _ very _ pleased with himself, considering he had, for once, caused his girlfriend to blush instead of the other way around.

He silently thanked Blake for her advice before falling into step beside Rosemary.


	37. Realizations

Auburn was confused as to why Clover hadn’t picked him up from the infirmary. He had known when Auburn was going to get out of the infirmary, but his entire team was here to make sure he got back safely, which seemed like overkill, but he was glad to have them all there. They had been treating him far better as of late, and he guessed that was probably because Clover had yelled at them.

Adolpha had a hand on top of her brother’s shoulder gently, giving it a squeeze as they walked back to the dorm.

All of them had apologized again, this might have been the fourth or the fifth time for most of them. Almost everyone had apologized several times.

Crystal opened the door for him and stepped to the side.

Auburn didn’t notice that he was the only one to walk inside, and he also didn’t notice that the door was closed moments later so that none of them could see inside.

Auburn frowned and looked around in confusion at the dorm room. It was far different than it had been a few days ago, and he wondered what had happened. The lights were dimmer than before, as if there was something covering them, and the room was tinted red. In front of him, he suddenly realized that Clover was standing there, surrounded by rose petals that were shaped like a heart. He was holding one final flower in his hand, and he was grinning at Auburn in excitement.

“Auburn Belladonna-Schnee, will you do me the great honor of being my date for the ball next week?” Clover asked. He had knelt down on one knee, putting him just a little below Auburn’s chest, and he looked up at him lovingly.

Auburn’s hands had jumped up to his mouth, and he stared down at his boyfriend in disbelief.

There was a long moment of silence, and Clover giggled at his response, shifting a bit and reaching one of his hands out toward Auburn.

Auburn shakily brought his hand down and grabbed Clover’s.

“You’re the kindest, most generous, most loving person I’ve ever met, and I want to make the night of the dance one that you’ll remember for the rest of your life, one that you’ll be able to call perfect… and maybe one day, if I get the honor of standing by your side at the altar, I’ll be able to tell you that it was the best night of my life.”

Auburn was crying now, and he sniffled quietly.

“So… will you go with me?”

Auburn nodded, not sure if he could trust his voice, and Clover grinned in excitement, jumping to his feet and grabbing Auburn around the waist.

Clover lifted Auburn into the air and connected their lips, both of them grinning.

When they pulled apart, Clover glanced down, finding that Auburn’s feet were dangling quite a ways off of the ground. He started to laugh, and Auburn gave him a confused look.

“Just something that Ilesha asked me once,” Clover said dismissively.

Auburn giggled and put his head on Clover’s shoulder, staring up at him as if he was magic.

-

Romy was seated at lunch, sitting in an awkward silence. Everyone else was talking to one another, but nobody had said a word to her, even Romelle, who was seated next to Adolpha, laughing at something she had said. Romy hadn’t understood it, so she’d assumed it had been some sort of inside joke they’d developed over the winter break. Otherwise, why would the word “potato” make Romelle burst out laughing? So much so that she had even started to cry a little.

Adolpha had leaned over and wiped her eyes with a little grin, and Romelle had fallen silent for a few moments, staring down at her food while Adolpha talked to her about something that had happened to her during class.

Romy looked away from her sister and Adolpha, trying to not think about why the image made her feel so uncomfortable.

Auburn was seated in Clover’s lap as they ate, Clover’s arms wrapped around his waist. Both of them were giggling almost drunkenly, and Romy rolled her eyes, looking away.

Meanwhile, Rosemary and Akio were talking about the dance, Rosemary swatting his arm playfully and then planting a kiss on his cheek. He blushed deeply, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer.

Even Cooper was leaned over, his head on Mavros’ shoulder as the two talked about something she didn’t hear. Cooper then giggled and glanced over at Akio, the two referring to something that happened in class earlier.

She looked over to her left, wondering if she could get her other teammates to distract her, but Jin, Saffron, and Aella were talking about something else. Romy almost attempted to add a comment, but the three were all turned away from her, as if purposefully.

Finally, she turned to look across from her, where she saw Ilesha giggling, her arm wrapped around Crystal as the two talked. She occasionally giggled as Crystal messed with her hair, causing the electricity in it to frizz up and almost shock her. Crystal made a tsk of displeasure.

“You should really have less electricity in there. Makes it dangerous to touch,” Crystal said, shaking her head.

Ilesha giggled.

“I could get rid of it, but you might not enjoy that either.”

Crystal rolled her eyes.

Romy was surprised to find that Lavey wasn’t laughing with her girlfriend and sister, instead glaring at Romy like she was planning a murder.

“You could shock Romy to get rid of the electricity,” Lavey said lowly.

Romy’s eyes widened and Ilesha giggled, swatting her girlfriend on the arm.

“That’d be mean, Lav-Lav.”

“Thanks,” Lavey said, smirking just a bit. It just made her look creepier.

Romy quickly looked away from Lavey, her gaze once again falling on Romelle and Adolpha.

Romelle was now pressed up against Adolpha’s side, the two laughing at something else. Romy wondered what it could be. In her personal experience, Adolpha had been  _ far _ more awkward than funny, so what could be making Romelle laugh so much?

Adolpha looked around quickly and then ducked down, whispering something into Romelle’s ear with a grin.

Romelle started to giggle, and Romy frowned.

Romelle was  _ giggling _ ?! Romy didn’t know if she’d ever seen her sister do  **that** before, and it made her frown.

Adolpha laughed, her eyes closing a bit as she did so, and Romelle looked up at her fondly.

Romy wanted to say something, anything, to stop that moment, but she couldn’t make a sound.

Adolpha didn’t seem to notice Romy, something that she  _ also _ couldn’t believe was happening, and instead shifted closer to Romelle, one arm coming to rest behind her on the bench.

Romelle glanced behind her and flushed a bit, her head ducking down shyly.

Before Romy could work up the nerve to say anything, the bell went off, and Adolpha helped Romelle to her feet, the two walking out of the room together and leaving her behind.

“Romy, if you’re late to class, you’re doing five hundred push-ups,” Weiss said as she walked by, not looking down at her. “Maybe you should try being more like Romelle.”

-

Clover hummed to himself as he pushed open the door to his dorm room. He was on top of the world, and not just because he was seven feet tall! He couldn’t  _ wait _ for the dance next week! Oh, he was going to give Auburn the perfect romantic night! And-

Clover hesitated when he saw someone sitting on their bed in front of him. He looked at Colby, and suddenly Clover flinched. He forgot that Colby got out of the infirmary today too, too distracted by Auburn.

He was about to say something of an apology, but Colby glared up at Clover.

“You know you could do better than him, right?”

Clover froze.

“What?”

“Auburn. You could do better than him. Way better.”

Clover took a moment to process. Had… did he just say that?

Clover’s hands closed into fists and he took a deep breath, trying to calm his anger.

It didn’t work.

“I don’t know what your fucking problem is, and you know what? I don’t care. Whatever it is, keep your shit out of my business! I don’t care what you have against your sisters, what you have against me, what you have against Auburn, or what you have against the whole damn world! Just keep me out of it. I’ve dealt with this all year, and I never said a word, but I’m done. Whatever it is, deal with it by yourself!” Clover shouted, reaching over to his bed and yanking the blanket off before he stalked out of the room.

Clover slammed the door closed behind him, looking down at Saffron as she stopped in front of him.

“You alright?” she asked worriedly, glancing around him.

“Did he-”

“I’m staying with team LAAC for a while,” Clover growled.

Saffron raised an eyebrow.

“That bad?”

Clover nodded.

“Guess I’ll crash with team JARR. I’ll let Rose know.”

Clover gave her the barest of smiles.

“Sorry,” Clover said gently.

“Pfft, don’t need to apologize to me. You know you’re like the brother I never had.”

“You have a brother.”

“I know,” Saffron said, patting him on the shoulder. “But you’re better. Now move, I gotta get my blanket.”

Saffron walked into the dorm room after Clover was down the hall, grabbing her blanket and then hesitating for a moment before grabbing Rosemary’s.

Colby looked up, frowning in confusion.

“What? Where are you-”

Saffron turned and glared at him until he fell silent.

She didn’t say a word before she stalked out.

Saffron saw Rosemary chatting with Akio outside of IMCA’s dorm room, and she shoved her blanket into her arm.

“What?” Rosemary asked, glancing away from her boyfriend and giving her sister a confused look.

“You mind letting your girlfriend stay here for a few days or weeks?” Saffron asked.

Akio flushed.

“I-I guess, yeah, but-”

“We’d be  _ more _ than willing to let her stay here!” Ilesha said excitedly.

“Great.”

“What happened?” Rosemary asked.

“Dunno. Clover’s angry.”

Rosemary’s eyes widened and she nodded, taking her blanket and turning back to Akio.

Saffron walked down the hall and then leaned against the door frame before knocking.

Jin opened her door after a moment, frowning as she looked at Saffron. She supposed it must have been an odd sight, Saffron leaning against the door frame with her blanket thrown her shoulder. She had an eyebrow raised as she looked up at Jin.

“Mind if I crash here for a while?”

Jin hesitated, frowning.

“I-I guess, but… why?”

“I think you know why.”

Jin’s eyes softened and she got out of the way, letting Saffron push past her inside.

“Knew you’d let me stay,” Saffron said confidently.

Jin saw that Saffron’s tail was wagging, however, and she smiled a bit before letting the door fall closed.

She guessed this wouldn’t be  _ terrible _ .


	38. New Teams

Lavey was pacing outside of the dorm room.

Adolpha was leaning against the wall with her scroll out, messaging someone. She was grinning to herself with an excited light to her eyes that Lavey hadn’t seen as often lately. She was glad it was back, but right now wasn’t really the best time for it.

Crystal was watching the door with a small glare on her face.

Inside of their dorm room was Auburn and Clover, and Lavey didn’t know how to feel about that.

On one hand, she was  _ very _ happy that Auburn had a boyfriend that cared for him and was willing to look out for him, but on the other… well, Auburn’s boyfriend was staying in their bedroom with them, sleeping on the floor right beside Auburn’s bed.

“We should check on them,” Lavey said.

“Definitely,” Crystal agreed quickly.

“What?” Adolpha asked, looking up from her scroll. “Sorry, what’s going on?”

“We’re going to go make sure that Clover isn’t ruining our brother’s innocence,” Lavey said.

“Oh,” Adolpha replied, putting her scroll in her pocket after sending one last message.

Lavey slammed the door open and hurried into the room.

“Get your hands off of my brother!” Lavey cried.

She was about to grab her bo staff and start attacking him, but she froze mid step.

Crystal almost bumped into her sister, but she stopped just a moment before, eyes going wide with disbelief.

Clover and Auburn were both seated on the ground, their eyes covered by cucumbers, as they stared ahead blankly. Their faces were covered in green masks, which Lavey had only seen in horrible commercials and the bargain bin at supermarkets. They were holding hands, and they both jumped at the loud noise, taking the cucumbers off of their eyes to look up at Auburn’s sisters.

“What… what are you doing?!” Lavey cried.

“Face masks. They really help moisturize the skin, and that’s really good for Auburn because of his gills, so I decided to do them with him to make sure he’s taking care of himself,” Clover said, giving Auburn a fond smile as he glanced at him.

Lavey gaped at the pair, eyes going wide.

“Oh my Dust, how are you, like, the perfect boyfriend?” Crystal asked.

“It’s easy when you have the  _ real _ best boyfriend to take care of,” Clover said, leaning over and kissing Auburn on the head.

Auburn let out a squeal, trying to avoid the kiss.

“Cloooovee! You know that you get the face mask stuff all over my hair when you do that!” Auburn whined. “And it takes forever to get out!”

“But you’re too cute to stay away from,” Clover said, reaching over to wrap his arms around Auburn.

Meanwhile, all three of Auburn’s teammates were watching the pair with disbelief.

“That’s disgusting,” Lavey said finally, gesturing at them. “This is… this is  **worse** than what I was worried about. Just… just keep this behind closed doors, don’t make me watch it again.”

Crystal nodded quickly, making a gagging sound.

“I don’t know, it’s kind of cute,” Adolpha said fondly, one hand reaching into her pocket to grab her scroll almost subconsciously.

“Definitely not,” Lavey said, turning on her heel and stalking out of the room. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be throwing up down the hall.”

-

“What?! Why me?!” Akio cried, eyes wide as he looked at his teammates.

“Because we don’t trust you,” Ilesha said, her arms crossed.

“What?!” Akio shrieked.

Rosemary covered her mouth with her hand to stop herself from laughing. It didn’t work, and Akio glared at her for her betrayal.

“I’m very trustworthy!” Akio continued.

“That’s exactly why I don’t trust you. It’s always the trustworthy ones that get you,” Ilesha said.

Akio spluttered, trying, and failing, to respond to her insanity.

“So you’re sleeping on the floor so that Rosemary can have your bed,” Mavros said, waving his hand dismissively.

Akio gaped.

“ **She** gets my bed?!”

“See? This is why you can’t trust him. What kinda person wouldn’t offer their bed up to their girlfriend? I know I would!” Ilesha said, gesturing at her friend.

Akio glared at her.

Rosemary tried to look at him disapprovingly, but the smile on her face told him that she was having  **far** too much fun with this conversation.

“You know, I think I’m going to like staying here,” Rosemary said.

“And we’re going to  **love** having you!” Ilesha cried, throwing an arm around her shoulders. “So lemme give you the tour. That’s Mav’s bed, that’s Cooper’s bed, that’s the couch and the TV where we watch musicals every week, and that’s the part of the floor where Akio’s going to sleep.”

Akio squawked at the words and Ilesha ignored him.

“And that’s your bed! Akio’s formerly, but we can have it cleaned.”

Rosemary nodded and gave Ilesha a small grin.

“That’s alright, I brought my own blanket. Thanks for letting me stay here.”

“No prob! Now how about you go get ready and I’ll kick Akio to the curb for you?”

Rosemary snickered and nodded, causing Ilesha to turn around and face Akio.

“Okay! Floor time for you!”

Akio protested, loudly.

“Why can’t I just share with one of you!” he cried.

“I have girlfriends, and you have a girlfriend. This really  _ cannot _ go on, Kio!” Ilesha cried dramatically.

Akio flushed and shoved her.

“You know that’s not what I mean, asshole.”

Ilesha just gave him a wink before she fell onto her bed.

“Sorry, but I can’t share. I’m a kicker.”

Ilesha waved her legs dramatically in the air to emphasize her point.

“Mav? Coop?” Akio asked hopefully.

“Take up too much room,” Mavros said, shrugging.

Cooper just shrugged.

“Sorry, I wiggle and punch apparently,” Cooper said.

Akio groaned.

“Can’t I just sleep on the couch?” he asked.

“I mean, I guess?” Ilesha said, looking a little disgusted by the idea.

Akio rolled his eyes.

“Fine. Whatever, you jerks.”

Ilesha tried to keep a straight face as he marched over to the couch, sullenly throwing a pillow on it and trying to get comfortable.

After he huffed, flopping onto the couch, Ilesha let herself laugh.

“Fine, fine, you can share with Rose, you little grump. But no funny business!” Ilesha looked at him seriously. “I’m the funny one around here.”

Akio grinned and rolled off of the couch, hurrying over to get his things ready.

Rosemary rolled her eyes, but there was a fond light to her eyes.

-

“What’s this?” Saffron asked, leaning down to look at a pile of blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals that were in the corner of the room. The curtain that used to cover the twins’ beds was now hung up around it to give it a secluded feeling.

“The safety corner,” Jin said, shrugging. She blushed a bit, thought she tried to seem as if it didn’t bother her. “You know, for if you get overwhelmed or just need a break…”

“It’s stupid,” Romy said, rolling her eyes.

“You’re stupid,” Romelle replied, glaring at her sister before she turned her attention back to her scroll.

Romy glanced at her and flinched, looking away.

Saffron shared a look with Jin. Looked like she wasn’t exaggerating after all.

“So where do you want me to stay?” Saffron asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Jin.

“You can have Romy’s bed,” Romelle said quickly.

“I don’t know if I want to share w-”

“No. I mean you can have it. Take it,” Romelle continued, waving her hand dismissively without looking up from her scroll.

“She… sharing with you?” Saffron asked.

“No,” Romelle said. “She can take the floor.”

Romy gaped at her sister.

“Don’t I get a say in this?”

“No.”

“Hey, I don’t want to take someone’s bed,” Saffron said, holding up her hands, which Jin noticed were  _ still _ covered by gloves, “I can take the floor,” she glanced at Jin and smirked, “or share with someone.”

“Well, I’m pretty tiny, I guess you could share with me,” Aella said, shrugging.

Saffron hesitated.

“Isn’t…  _ that _ your bed?” Saffron asked, pointing up at the ceiling, where a hammock hovered.

“Yup!”

“I’d rather not.”

“Scared of heights?” Aella taunted.

“No, but you’re  _ far _ smaller than I am, and I  **really** don’t want to fall from the ceiling in the middle of the night,” Saffron replied, crossing her arms.

“It’s  _ really _ no problem for you to take Romy’s bed,” Romelle said. “She’ll be fine on the ground.”

“What?! No I won’t!” Romy cried.

Romelle rolled her eyes.

“She’ll be fine.”

Jin glanced at Saffron.

“You could share with me if you want, Saff.”

Saffron nodded.

“Alright, I could live with that. Thanks.”

Saffron unceremoniously stole the blanket off of Jin’s bed and tossed her own on.

Jin stared at her, and Saffron just gave her a wink.

“Don’t worry, mine’s better.”

“Maybe I wanted  _ my _ blanket,” Jin said, crossing her arms.

Saffron laughed and flopped back onto the bed, putting her arms behind her head.

“Maybe, maybe not.”

Jin scoffed, though she had no idea how to respond to Saffron’s words.

Romy glanced at her sister anxiously.

She’d been trying to fix things with Romelle lately, but it hadn’t been working very well. Every time she tried to say something nice, Romelle would glare at her, say something rude, and then start messaging someone on her scroll.

Romy shifted over to whisper to her sister, sitting on her bed.

She got a quick glimpse at her scroll, seeing who she was messaging.

Dolphie: Saffron’s staying over there? What happened?

Romelle: No idea, she hasn’t talked about it. Tried to give her Romy’s bed.

Dolphie: You’re so mean!

Romelle: I know ;P

Romy glanced up from the scroll when Romelle pulled it back, clutching it against her chest defensively.

“What?” Romelle snapped, glaring at her sister.

Romy flinched, her gaze shifting to Romelle’s eyes.

“I just wanted to talk about-”

“Yeah, well I don’t,” Romelle replied. “Now leave me alone, you’ve already hurt her enough.”

“Romelle, I didn’t mean to hurt her, and I’m not going to do it again, so can we please just-”

“You’re right. You’re  **not** going to hurt her again,” Romelle hissed, “because you won’t have the chance.”

Romy didn’t get the chance to figure out what she meant by that, considering Romelle snatched her headphones off of the bedside table and stuck them in her ears.

-

Saffron slid under the covers, and Jin glanced at her, frowning in confusion.

“What?” Saffron asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Do you sleep in those?” Jin asked.

“What?”

“Your gloves!” Jin hissed, gesturing at Saffron’s hands.

Saffron glanced at them.

“Yeah.”

“Why?!”

Saffron hesitated, staring at one of her hands. She had almost forgotten that it was rather…  _ odd _ for someone to sleep in gloves.

“Fashion never sleeps, Jin, unlike me,” Saffron said, rolling her eyes.

-

Coco sat up in bed, frowning.

Velvet grumbled.

“What?” she asked, huffing.

“I don’t know why, but I’m proud of our daughter.”

“That’s nice. Now go to sleep.”

-

“I’m just saying, it can’t be comfortable to wear your gloves to sleep,” Jin said.

“Well, I like it,” Saffron replied, shrugging.

“Do you  _ ever _ take them off?” Aella asked, leaning over the edge of her hammock and frowning just a bit.

“I mean, not really,” Saffron said, suddenly feeling as if she was being interrogated. She didn’t like it. “Is it really that big of a deal?”

“It’s just weird,” Jin said.

“Well, I’m weird, alright?” Saffron said, rolling over so that she wasn’t looking at Jin. “Just go to sleep.”

There was a long stretch of silence in the dorm room, and Saffron almost fell asleep. She could tell that everyone else had done so already, with the exception of Jin.

Finally, she sighed and rolled over to face Jin, seeing her with clarity despite the darkness in the room.

“What’s keeping you up?” Saffron asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s just… weird.”

“Is this about the damn gloves again?!” Saffron hissed.

“Yeah.”

“I just… I can’t sleep without them, alright?” Saffron said, looking away.

Jin scooted closer, reaching her hand out.

Saffron’s hand was resting on her pillow, and she flinched just before Jin touched it with her own.

“Why not?” Jin asked gently.

Saffron considered for a moment, looking anywhere but at Jin.

“I don’t know, I guess they just… make me feel safe.”

Jin squeezed Saffron’s hand with her own, and Saffron glanced at her, the pair locking eyes.

“Why?” she asked, leaning closer.

“I don’t know, alright?!” Saffron hissed.

Jin started to draw back, taking her hand off of Saffron.

Saffron caught her before she could completely withdraw.

“No, wait… I’m sorry, alright? It’s just…,” Saffron sighed, looking down. “Before I started this year, before I got my weapons,” Saffron tightened her grasp on Jin’s hand, “I was weak. The weakest in the group, and I just… I don’t want to go back to that. I think who I am now, and I like being able to protect myself, protect others… and my gloves… they’re what let me do that.”

Saffron didn’t want to look at her, didn’t want to show her weakness.

That had been, quite literally, beaten out of her at a young age.

Jin shifted, her fear hand coming forward to cup Saffron’s face gently. She tilted Saffron until they were making eye contact, and she leaned closer.

“Saffron, your weapons aren’t what make you strong. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known. You  _ always _ have been the strongest person I’ve known, even if I didn’t realize it before. You’re brave, smart, and willing to run headlong into  _ any _ battle, even if you know you’re going to lose. You don’t need your weapons to be special… not to me.”

Saffron flushed, smiling at Jin.

Slowly, Jin reached her hands over to Saffron’s own and she grabbed the glove.

Saffron flinched as soon as Jin started to tug on the glove, reflexively pulling her hand toward her chest.

Jin didn’t hold her back, and slowly Saffron relaxed her hand.

Jin started to take the glove off, nice and slow, but she suddenly frowned, looking down at them.

She tugged a bit harder, but it stayed in place, making Saffron chuckle.

“You didn’t think I’d have gloves that come off that easy, did you?” Saffron asked.

Jin scoffed quietly.

“Can’t believe I thought  _ anything _ about you would be normal.”

“An insult, really,” Saffron said.

Jin tugged on the glove harder this time, gaping when it didn’t budge.

Saffron finally sighed.

Looked like Jin wasn’t going to get any sleep until she took them off. Besides, she could put them back on as soon as Jin was asleep.

Saffron reached her other hand up and flipped the release on her glove.

Jin jumped as her arm suddenly shot back, the glove almost hitting her in the face.

Saffron laughed quietly, taking off her other glove and putting it gently on the table beside the bed.

She turned and looked at Jin, who was still inspecting her weapon.

“It’s lighter than I expected,” Jin said, moving it up and down experimentally.

Saffron rolled her eyes and snatched her weapon away, putting it beside her other glove.

“Just shut up and get some sleep,” Saffron said, giving her a small smile before she rolled over.

Saffron waited for a while for Jin to go to sleep, not noticing that she was messing with her fingers, her eyes flickering toward where her gloves lay on the table.

Jin finally moved closer, wrapping an arm around Saffron and pulling her closer.

“What are you doing?” Saffron asked.

“If you want to feel protected, how about just for tonight, you let me protect you, instead of having to protect yourself?”

Saffron considered for a long moment before she sighed, letting her eyes fall shut.

“Fine, but you’re on a trial basis, so watch yourself,” Saffron said, letting herself relax.

Jin laughed and rolled her eyes.

-

Saffron woke up slowly in the morning, not wanting to admit that it was no longer night.

When she finally opened her eyes, she saw her gloves laying beside her on the table, and she realized that without them, she had had the best sleep since…

Well, since as long as she could remember.

She didn’t tell Jin, though. Thought it would go straight to the girl’s ego.

Despite that, Jin had a smug smirk all morning.


	39. Thoughts

Romy was having a good morning. A  _ very _ good morning, in fact. She had slept well, and Romelle had even said good morning to her!

Well, Romelle had been very tired, still yawning, and she was messaging someone on her scroll, but she had still said it, and Romy liked to think that Romelle had done it on purpose.

She wondered who Romelle was messaging. Maybe it was Adolpha…

Romy, in her  _ very _ happy state, started to think about Adolpha.

She’d been acting  **very** differently lately. She’d been more confident, funnier, and… well, she had been more of herself. Ever since… well, Romy hadn’t been paying enough attention to Adolpha to pinpoint when exactly this had started, but she knew that it had been sometime recent, after the winter break at least, right?

But, Romy, now that she was thinking about it, found that she liked the new Adolpha a lot more. She spoke her mind, wasn’t afraid to admit when she didn’t know what she was doing, and wasn’t an annoying little control freak anymore.

Suffice it to say, while Romy hadn’t ever noticed Adolpha, she was  _ certainly _ noticing the changes in her now, and she found herself  **quite** fond of them.

Adolpha had even become a better fighter. Adolpha had always been  _ very _ impressive, but recently, especially in that fight with the Grimm, she had been…

Romy suddenly remembered something, something that she hadn’t thought about since it had happened, but now couldn’t get out of her head.

_ / _

_ Romy was dizzy, stumbling slightly. She’d been thrown by the Grimm a few moments ago, and now she was struggling to stay on her feet. _

_ She didn’t notice as the creature’s leg swung at her, but someone else did. _

_ Adolpha raced across the battlefield, heedless of the danger, and threw herself at Romy, knocking them both to the ground. _

What the fu-

_ Romy cut herself off as the leg flew over both of their heads, and Romy stared up at Adolpha in shock. _

_ Adolpha was staring down at her intently, her eyes concerned. A bit of her short gray hair hung down in front of her face, and a bit of Romy, a part she didn’t understand at the time, wanted to reach up and brush it out of the way. The light framed Adolpha perfectly as she cradled Romy gently. _

_ “Are you alright?” Adolpha whispered, her voice low and filled with care. _

_ Romy wanted to respond, but she found that her voice had failed her, and she didn’t even think of her own telepathy, so she just nodded mutely. _

_ Adolpha gave her a small smile, one that seemed to light the battlefield up, and then set Romy down on the ground. _

_ Adolpha then spun and raced back into the fray, taking large, loping steps as she went to help their friends. _

_ Romy watched her go for a long moment, transfixed, before she shakily pushed herself to her feet, wondering what had just happened. _

_ / _

Romy realized now that, after that moment, she hadn’t been able to get Adolpha out of her head, and it hadn’t helped that she had been hanging around Romelle constantly.

Romy, as she was going through her morning ritual of getting ready for class, suddenly realized what was happening, and she dropped her toothbrush. She scrambled to catch it, and Romelle burst out laughing when she saw it hit the ground.

“Nice,” Romelle said, rolling her eyes.

Romy didn’t notice, however, considering she was distracted by something else entirely.

She had a crush on Adolpha.

The realization was more than a little shocking, and she didn’t know what to think about it.

Adolpha had always been a little annoying, if you asked Romy, but… well, Adolpha had changed  _ a lot _ lately, and she was starting to realize that…

She had been  _ way _ too mean to Adolpha when they were younger…

And, even worse, Romelle was right. Romy should  **never** have said those things about her, because Adolpha was… well, she was amazing. She was funny, undeniably thoughtful and sweet, and adorable.

Romy couldn’t believe she hadn’t realized this when they were younger, but… she liked Adolpha.

A goofy grin spread across her face when she suddenly remembered something else.

Adolpha liked her.

Adolpha had a crush on her, didn’t she? At least, Romy thought she did. Adolpha certainly acted like she did, and had for years.

That meant…

That if Romy asked her to the dance, then Adolpha would more than likely say yes, as long as she treated her nicer than she used to, and that would be no problem!

At this rate, she would have Adolpha as her girlfriend by the end of the week! It was like a fairy tale! Or maybe a romance movie where someone was in love with their friend for years and then, finally, after all that time waiting, the other person realized they felt the same and they ended it all with a kiss.

So, suffice it to say, Romy was  _ certain _ that today was going to be a  **great** day!

-

Adolpha had been distracted all morning.

She and Romelle had been messaging since they had woken up, as they’d been doing for quite some time now, and Adolpha was starting to… have a few questions about herself.

After something that Crystal had said the other day, Adolpha hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Romelle.

Or, well, that wasn’t it either.

She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Romelle for weeks now, but then Crystal had shifted her perspective and… and now Adolpha was starting to wonder if she had feelings for Romelle.

The fluttery feeling in her stomach, the light blush on her face at the very thought, and the way her heart skipped a beat all pointed toward a definitive  _ yes, you  _ **_do_ ** _ have feelings for her, now ask her out, _ but Adolpha wasn’t entirely sure.

Yes, she had all of the signs that pointed toward her liking this girl, and quite possibly more, but… she was worried that this was a rebound for Romy, that she really still had feelings for Romy and she was using Romelle, nice, sweet, innocent Romelle that deserved so much better than that, to help her get over Romy… or maybe this was just her transferring her feelings from one twin to the other. Or maybe she was just emotionally vulnerable after everything that happened with Romy and now she was latching onto the first person she was  _ not _ related to that had shown her any kindness.

Adolpha didn’t think it was any of those things, but she had to be  **certain** .

She had come to really enjoy the time she spent with Romelle, had come to love their friendship (even if a part of her hated putting  _ that _ label on their relationship), and she didn’t want to ruin it, not if she didn’t have to.

She had learned once not to hide her feelings for too long, from Romelle’s sister actually, and if she was sure that she liked Romelle, this time she was just going to go for it.

So the only problem she had now… was figuring out if she was confused… or if she had fallen for someone with alarming speed.


	40. Romy and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Romy was having a good day.

Or, well, it had started out great, but now it seemed like everyone was watching her, like everyone was glaring at her, and Romy couldn’t figure out why.

She didn’t think she had done anything wrong lately, in fact, she hadn’t been pranking people as much, considering her sister hadn’t been helping her out since their fight. She still needed to figure out a way to make it up to her, but that was going to come after she fixed things with Adolpha. That was coming first.

From now on, Romy was going to put Adolpha first to make up for everything she’d done.

She walked into her first class, and she was surprised to find that Ruby was watching her from the front of the classroom, eyes narrowed as if she was considering something.

“Alright, class! Today, we’re going to start with a demonstration of a weapon from one of our very own students!” Ruby reached down to her pocket and pulled out a  _ very _ familiar weapon. Jin flinched when she saw it. “Ilesha Ajax, after showcasing it at the Vytle Tournament, has been selling these  _ very _ successfully, and I wanted to try it out for the first time! I’ve never been able to fully use it before, considering it’s typically powered by her semblance, but  _ this _ has the ability to work  **without** her semblance.”

Ruby smiled.

“How about we give it a try, shall we?”

She fiddled with it for a moment, starting to wonder aloud how it worked. Ilesha was about to tell her, but Ruby suddenly hit the button with her thumb.

The shank part of the weapon shot out and hit an unsuspecting Romy in the chest. She cried out in shock as she started to topple back out of her chair. The electricity shot through the wires and struck her in the chest.

She let out a strangled sound as she hit the ground, writhing in pain.

She expected someone to help her and say something, but nobody did anything, and she was forced to wait until the current stopped shooting into her.

When it was done, she shakily pushed herself to her feet, removing the knife end from her coat and stumbling over to her seat.

“Oh, sorry, Romy! I guess I must have just… slipped up,” Ruby said, her eyes narrowing as she watched Romy.

“I-it’s okay,” Romy said shakily.

Ruby smiled, though it looked almost… fake? What was that about?

Romy didn’t get her answer before class ended.

-

The next class was just as bad, if not worse.

As Blake passed her desk, her hand brushed her stuff, knocking her papers off and sending them scattering across the ground.

Romy made a sound of shock and went to pick up her things, and Blake watched with an unreadable expression.

“My bad,” Blake said, turning and not helping her pick them up.

Romy was wondering what was happening, but she didn’t get the chance to wonder about it before the class started.

She almost forgot what had happened, and when Blake spoke up, it shocked her to her core.

“Does anyone know the answer to the question written on the board?” she paused for a moment. “I know you don’t, Romy, I wasn’t going to call on you.”

Romy jumped in shock, her face flushing in embarrassment.

She ducked her head and didn’t look up at the teacher as she stalked in front of them.

There were a few more questions, some of them with backhanded comments toward Romy, which constantly caught her off guard.

Finally, toward the end of class, Blake called out that she had made a pop quiz, which she passed around the room to each of the students.

“Good luck,” Ilia said as she gave Romy her test.

Romy was stumped on the first question, and there were ten more that were due at the end of class!

She struggled to get through any of them, and she ended up just guessing. As they were passing the tests up, Romy’s eyes widened as she caught sight of Romelle’s test, which was filled with  **far** easier questions than Romy’s test had been.

She stared at the teachers in disbelief, but Ilia just smirked and waved as the class ended.

“Alright, you have to help me with Colby now that I helped with Romy,” Ilia muttered.

“Deal,” Blake said, shaking her friend’s hand.

“I’m going to get him back for what he said to Clover.”

“No questions asked. You helped me get her back for Adolpha,” Blake said.

-

The next class wasn’t any better.

The next was Dust Studies, which meant that she had Winter and Weiss as her teachers. That was supposed to be a relief, right? They never let anything get in the way of teaching! They wouldn’t succumb to whatever was causing the other teachers to mess with her, right?

Apparently, that was wrong.

Weiss and Winter passed out pieces of Dust to each of their students.

“Today, we’re going to be working with raw Dust,” Winter said. “Now, as long as you aren’t an incompetent fool, the Dust shouldn’t explode in your face-”

Romy let out a loud cry of shock as the Dust exploded in front of her and she started to fall backward, hitting the ground hard and looking up at her classmates.

Dust particles floated in the air, gently drifting down toward the ground. Romy looked through it, and her gaze landed on Adolpha, who looked down at her with a small expression of worry. Her hair was hanging down over her face, a bit of it covering her gorgeous eyes. Once again, Romy wanted to just lean forward and brush the hair out of her face.

Adolpha made sure that she was alright before she gave her a small smile and turned back to the teachers.

Romy got back to her feet with a small dazed expression on her face.

She took a seat, rubbing at her head.

“Romy, you’re going to have to stay after class to clean up this mess you made,” Winter said formally, looking down at her with a small glare.

“O-okay. I mean, yes, Mrs. Schnee-Polendina,” Romy said, trying to smile at her.

Winter didn’t seem to notice, turning away quickly.

Romy suddenly realized something. Her next class was supposed to be with Mrs. and Mrs. Soliel.

She was missing her own parent’s class.

Did… did they plan this? That was ridiculous… right?

Of course…

-

Romy finally slumped into her seat in her final class, letting out a sigh. She just wanted to get this day over with. She was planning on asking Adolpha out after class today, and she just needed to get through the day, and then she’d have Adolpha waiting for her. She wanted to get her clothes changed into something nice, give her something…

Romy leaned down and put her chin in her hand, looking at where Adolpha sat a few rows ahead of her. She had a small smile on her face, and she was completely caught off guard when Yang spoke.

“Do we have any volunteers?” Yang asked.

Nobody raised their hand, and Romy scrambled to remember what she had said.

An Aura breaking fight.

Oh. That sounded  _ horrifying _ .

“Romy, thank you for volunteering!” Coco called, clapping her hands together with a small smirk.

“Wh-I didn-”

“Come on down!” Yang called, gesturing for her to come to the front of the class.

Romy hesitantly walked down the stairs toward where Yang was waiting, and she held her fists up in front of her worriedly.

The front row of the class had Saffron, Jin, and Rosemary.

Rosemary looked indifferent, Jin looked a little pleased (though a little worried), and Saffron was leaning forward in her seat with a small smirk.

Yang raised her fist.

Everything went black.

-

Romy’s eyes blinked open, and she groaned in pain.

She forced her eyes open, and she was met with an unfamiliar figure. She was short, though a bit taller than Romy (to be fair, who wasn’t?), with short curly brown hair and heterochromatic eyes, one of which was tyrian purple, while the other was a dark bluish green. On her nametag, it read  _ Yvenne. _

Romy groaned and pushed herself up to a sitting position.

Yvenne grabbed her before she could do so, shaking her head.

“Hey now, be careful,” Yvenne said, helping her back to lay down. “Your arm was almost broken a few minutes ago before I took care of it.”

Romy frowned for a moment, glancing at her right arm.

Yvenne rolled her eyes.

“The other one.”

Romy groaned and leaned back in the bed, squeezing her eyes shut.

“What happened?” Romy asked.

“You don’t remember? You know, I really shouldn’t be that surprised, you took a pretty hard hit. Or, well, a couple of hard hits, I suppose. It looks like Mrs. Belladonna-Schnee did a real number on you. You two were having a past Aura fight and she must have broken yours. This tall girl with blond hair, think she said her name was some alcoholic beverage… Whiskey? Gin? Jin! That’s it! Jin carried you in here when you passed out and Mr. Valkyrie had me heal you,” Yvenne said.

Romy groaned.

“Then why do I feel like I got hit by a bus?”

“Because you pretty much did, and he said not for me to heal you all the way, Ms….?”

“Romy,” she said. “And why would he…,” Romy groaned. “Not him too! Oh, I don’t know what’s happening today, but all of the teachers have been out to get me.”

Yvenne took a seat by her bed.

“Tell me about it.”

And so Romy did. She told her about her amazing morning, how she realized her childhood friend was a great person she had a crush on and wanted to ask to the dance, and then how everything went wrong.

Yvenne was staring at her in disbelief.

“Well… that just sounds  _ awful _ . All in one day? Are… are you okay?” Yvenne asked, leaning closer.

Romy sniffled a little.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s just… it’s rough, and everything went wrong, and…”

Romy sighed and flopped back onto the bed.

Yvenne sighed and reached over, setting her hand on top of Romy’s shoulder.

“Tell you what, I’ll give you a little more healing and some nice pain meds, just don’t tell anyone.”

Romy gave her a small smile before she felt tears well up.

“Thank you so much! It’s just… you’re the only person that’s been nice to me all day, or maybe all week, because my sister’s mad at me and… just thank you!”

Yvenne awkwardly patted Romy on the shoulder.

“It’s no problem, just stay still and I’ll fix you right up.”

Romy let her eyes fall shut and felt some of the pain recede.

At least… one thing had gone right today.


	41. Adolpha and the Terrific, Wonderful, Not Bad, Very Good Day

Adolpha was having a bad morning. She was still caught in her head, thinking about the twins.

Or, well, one of them.

“Hey, Adolpha,” a voice called.

Adolpha looked behind her, and a smile grew across her lips as she saw Romelle jogging to catch up with her.

“H-hey, Romelle,” Adolpha said, glancing down at her shyly. Romelle eyed her with a small frown, but she didn’t say anything about it.

“Did you hear the rumors going around?” Romelle asked.

Adolpha raised an eyebrow.

“What rumors?”

“About Romy. Someone said that she was racist.”

“Romy? What? Why?”

“Cause she called you a bitch,” Romelle said, shrugging.

Adolpha’s eyes widened. She hadn’t even thought about that…

“That’s crazy! She grew up with us, her godmother is a faunus!” Adolpha cried.

“I know, it is… but it’s kinda funny,” Romelle said, smirking.

Adolpha gaped and looked down at her, about to accost her for being so rude… but she found herself staring at Romelle.

Romelle was smirking to herself, her hands rubbing against one another in a maniacal way. There was a light to her mismatched eyes that Adolpha found herself entranced by, as if she was cooking up something in her head. The gears were turning in her mind, and Adolpha found herself wishing she could see into her thoughts…

Adolpha had always thought that Romy was never prettier than when she was plotting something, and it seemed that the same was true for Romelle… and Adolpha found herself realizing that Romelle schemed in a different way than her sister.

She was quieter, more reserved, as if she was making sure that nobody could tell that she was cooking up some disastrous plot that might get someone maimed.

Adolpha found it  _ adorable. _

In fact, she was so distracted by the sight that she tripped over her feet and almost fell. Romelle reached out and caught her hand, clearly forgetting her plotting so that she could help her friend. Adolpha steadied herself, turning to find that Romelle was watching her with concern.

“Are you okay? You seem kind of distracted today,” Romelle said gently, her hand still holding Adolpha’s own.

She flushed a light shade of pink, glancing down at their hands. For a brief moment, Adolpha wondered if somehow Romelle had a bit of Ilesha’s electricity, cause she swore she could feel buzzing coming from her hand.

“I-I’m alright, sorry.”

“You sleep okay?” Romelle continued, watching her with a small frown.

Adolpha’s heart skipped a beat at her concern.

“Yeah, just a little out of it, I guess.”

“Well, I’ll make sure to take extra good care of you today,” Romelle said with a small smile, leading her down the hall.

Adolpha followed her with a distracted expression on her face, watching Romelle intently and not realizing that Romy was watching the two of them as well.

Romelle led them into their first class, taking a seat beside her.

Adolpha was distracted during the entirety of class, her gaze constantly flickering over to Romelle. She barely noticed that her mother was trying to teach them.

“Alright, class! Today, we’re going to start with a demonstration of a weapon from one of our very own students!” Ruby reached down to her pocket and pulled out a very familiar weapon. Jin flinched when she saw it. “Ilesha Ajax, after showcasing it at the Vytle Tournament, has been selling these very successfully, and I wanted to try it out for the first time! I’ve never been able to fully use it before, considering it’s typically powered by her semblance, but this has the ability to work without her semblance.”

Adolpha glanced over at her mother as she struggled to figure out how to work the weapon. Suddenly, her thumb hit the button, and the knife shot out through the room.

Adolpha reacted immediately, reaching out and grabbing Romelle to block her from the attack.

The shank soared over them by a fair margin, and Adolpha didn’t even look over to see who had gotten hit.

She was staring down at Romelle, her arms wrapped around the smaller girl defensively, and Romelle looked up at her with wide eyes.

Adolpha didn’t notice the dark blush that grew across Romelle’s face, too distracted by her own embarrassment.

“U-uh, sorry, I just thought that-”

“Yeah, it’s… it’s fine. Thanks for worrying,” Romelle said, turning away from Adolpha as the two hurriedly pulled apart.

Adolpha didn’t remember anything from the rest of class except for how Romelle twirled her hair around her finger when she was bored.

-

Romelle stretched during Blake and Ilia’s class when she handed in her test, and Adolpha found herself staring.

“That test was pretty easy,” Romelle said, glancing over at Adolpha, who flushed at the eye contact, “don’t you think?”

“What? Oh, right, the test. Yeah, it was pretty easy,” Adolpha said.

“Very articulate, Dolph,” Lavey said, rolling her eyes.

Romelle smacked Lavey on the arm.

Romelle then glanced at Adolpha, the pair sharing a suffering look.

Adolpha tried not to show how excited she was at the interaction, trying to focus on the classwork.

It didn’t work.

-

Aunt Winter was passing out the Dust, and Adolpha barely noticed, considering Romelle had leaned over to whisper something in her ear.

Adolpha almost hadn’t heard what she’d said, too distracted by Romelle being so close.

“Is it just me or are all the teachers being rude to Romy today?” Romelle asked.

Adolpha forced herself to figure out what she meant, and she nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, it’s wei-”

Adolpha heard an explosion behind her, and she spun, her arm reflexively shooting out to cover Romelle from the damage.

She locked eyes with Romy, who was looking back at her with a slightly dazed expression.

Adolpha made sure that she was okay, and that the threat, which was apparently just Dust, was neutralized. She relaxed a bit, checking on Romelle before turning back to the front of class and watching what Winter and Weiss’ reaction would be.

She was suddenly distracted as a memory played through her mind.

_ / _

_ Romelle threw herself at Adolpha, which was a shock. The tail soared over them, but Adolpha was immediately distracted by Romelle. Hadn’t she been across the battlefield from her moments before? _

_ Either way, she tackled Adolpha to the ground, and she stared up at her with shock. _

_ “Are you alright?” Romelle asked, her voice almost cracking with worry. _

_ Adolpha stared up at her, blinking in shock. Romelle had just run across the entire battlefield and put herself in peril to make sure that Adolpha was protected. The idea made her eyes widen and her heart start to flutter. _

_ Romelle was so caring, so protective… Adolpha had no idea why she was thinking about that, but she knew that it was true. _

_ How had she never realized this before? _

_ “Uh… yeah, I’m… yeah I’m alright. Thank you,” Adolpha whispered. _

_ Romelle’s worried expression changed to one of relief, and she stared down at Adolpha with a look of undeniable care. _

_ “I told you,” Romelle said softly, “anything for you, Adolpha.” _

_ Anything. _

_ Adolpha didn’t know why at the time, but the word made her face flush a light shade of pink. _

_ Her hand twitched and she started to bring it up to cup Romelle’s waist, the other wanting to hold her face, to gently cup it and make sure that nothing happened to the wonderful woman that had risked her life to protect Adolpha, that had been by her side for as long as she could remember… _

_ But someone she had never given a spare thought. _

_ Before Adolpha could act on any of her thoughts, Saffron cursed loudly in her mind as Jin was hit by one of the Grimm’s arms, throwing her to the ground. _

_ Saffron dropped down to avoid getting hit, and the moment was ruined. _

_ Romelle looked over her shoulder and scurried to her feet, raising her weapon and letting her buzzsaw roar to life. _

_ After a moment of dazed confusion, Adolpha hurried to her feet after her, and the two ran back into battle. _

_ / _

Adolpha didn’t remember anything that happened the rest of that class, nor the next, and she didn’t notice that Romy was missing until their final one. Instead, she was focused on Romelle, who stayed by her side the whole day.

She always had.

-

Adolpha only zoned back into what was happening when she saw Romy fighting Yang.

Yang threw a punch, her semblance on and her hair flowing behind her, and it connected with Romy’s chest, sending her flying back.

Romy groaned and pushed herself back up, stumbling slightly.

Yang opened her mouth, about to call the fight, clearly having made whatever point she was trying to make, but Romy shot toward her, swinging one final punch.

As soon as she connected her fist with Yang’s side, her Aura broke, and she cried out in pain as a crunch echoed through the classroom.

She’d broken her arm.

Yang’s eyes widened in shock, and she caught Romy before she could hit the ground, holding her gently.

“Alright… we… we need to get you to the infirmary. You’ll be alright,” Yang said quickly, hurrying out of the room with Romy in her arms.

Adolpha’s eyes widened in shock. She could barely remember the fight, and how it had started, but she couldn’t believe the ending.

She glanced to the side, her first thoughts going to Romelle.

Was she alright? Was she worried about her sister? Did she want to go to the infirmary right away?

“Hey, you okay? Do you want to go to the infirmary with her?” Adolpha asked worriedly, moving closer to her friend.

Romelle glanced over at her and sighed.

“Maybe, yeah…,” Romelle scooted closer to her, putting her head on Adolpha’s shoulder. “Thanks for worrying, Adolpha.”

Adolpha flushed.

“O-of course. That’s your sister, and I know that I’d be worried if one of my siblings got hurt.”

“So understanding,” Romelle said, reaching one arm up to thread through Adolpha’s own.

Adolpha smiled shyly, moving closer to Romelle.

“Uh, thanks, Romelle… do you want to go check on her?”

“Maybe after class,” Romelle replied, letting her eyes fall shut.

Adolpha was about to speak, but Romelle reached down and put her free hand on top of Adolpha’s, where it was set on the desk.

Adolpha immediately fell silent, staring down at Romelle like she had put the stars in the sky.

-

Adolpha pushed the infirmary door open, looking inside.

Romelle had gone to visit her sister earlier, though she said that she had been asleep.

Romelle hadn’t seemed to like the idea of Adolpha going to visit Romy, but she had to, if only to make sure her friend was alright. Just a quick visit.

Romy sat up in bed a bit, perking up when she saw Adolpha.

“Dolllph!” she drawled almost drunkenly.

Adolpha assumed they’d given her pain medicine.

“Hey, Romy,” Adolpha said gently, taking a seat at her side. “How are you feeling?”

“Baaad. I had a  _ real _ bad day…,” Romy said, slurring her words. “Thanks for visiting, though… you really brightened my day…”

Adolpha laughed, and she was surprised to find that her face didn’t flush, her heart didn’t skip a beat, and her stomach didn’t fill with butterflies at the words.

Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

It was… It was real.

All of it.

“Oh my Dust,” Adolpha muttered to herself, leaning back in the chair and staring up at the ceiling.

Images of Romelle flashed through her mind, and she felt a smile form on her face.

“I like her. I  _ really like _ Romelle,” she breathed.

“I do too,” Romy drawled. “But she doesn’t like me, at least not lately. I said some stuff I shouldn’t have said… about you, actually… I’m real sorry, Dolph… can you forgive me?”

Adolpha was barely paying attention, and she forced herself to remember what Romy had said.

“Oh, it’s alright, I forgive you. Besides, it doesn’t hurt anymore,” Adolpha said, shrugging. “I moved on. I’m over you, even if you’re still great, I just… I really like Romelle, and… Dust, but I think I might be in… well, I’ll have to think about it, but thanks for the talk.”

Adolpha gently patted Romy on the leg before she stood, walking out of the infirmary with a skip in her step and a grin on her face.

She really was over Romy, and now she was into Romelle!

All she had to do was see if the twin liked her back!

Today had been a pretty great day, actually.


	42. Looking Back

Adolpha was distracted in class. Her leg was bouncing up and down in anticipation, and she was watching the clock in frustration.

She wanted time to pass quicker, but it seemed that time wasn’t being very compliant with her wishes, and she thought that was rather rude of it, all things considered.

She wanted to ask out Romelle, but she had to wait for the stupid day to finish.

Yesterday, she had had the  _ genius _ idea to ask Romelle to the dance tomorrow, and she could hardly wait. She was busy all day, and today was the B day of classes, which meant that she and Romelle hardly shared any of their classes, which just made this more difficult for her. She had to wait until after this class, but she didn’t know if she could wait that long…

“Adolpha, will you please speak to me outside?” Blake asked from the front of the room formally.

Adolpha jumped in shock, almost falling out of her seat.

She hurried to do as her mother had asked, almost falling over as she went down the steps.

When she exited the classroom, Blake looked at her worriedly.

“Dolph, are you alright? You’ve seemed very distracted lately, and we’ve been worried about you,” Blake said gently, reaching forward to put her hand on top of Adolpha’s shoulder.

“Alright?” Adolpha laughed with a sense of giddiness. “I’m actually  _ great _ ! I’m about to ask out the girl of my dreams, and I guess that’s just a bit distracting… I’ll try to pay more attention…”

“Wait, the girl of your dreams?” Blake asked, frowning in confusion.

“Yeah…,” Adolpha had a dreamy smile on her face as she stared into the distance. “She’s about this tall,” she held her hand up to about her shoulder, “with the prettiest eyes and the most  _ gorgeous _ smirk when she’s planning things…”

Blake’s eyes widened in fear.

“Romy?!” she cried.

Adolpha laughed, shaking her head.

“No, mom!  _ Romelle _ ! She’s the better twin! I can’t believe it took me so long to realize this! I’m going to ask her to the dance… I hope she says yes… oh, what if she doesn’t?” Adolpha suddenly looked worried, glancing to her mother for confidence.

Blake tried not to smile.

“No, you should definitely ask her. I think you two would be  _ wonderful _ together, sweetheart.”

“You think?” Adolpha asked, beaming in excitement.

Blake nodded, and Adolpha let out a quiet laugh.

“Great! I’m going to go ask her now!” Adolpha cried, taking off down the hall. “Thanks, mom!” she called.

Blake smiled fondly as her daughter raced away enthusiastically, watching her go. She shook her head and chuckled, turning back to the classroom door and opening it. She stepped inside-

And she caught sight of the countless students that Ilia was teaching.

Wait.

Adolpha was supposed to be in class right now, not asking out Romelle. And  _ Romelle _ was supposed to be in class right now!

Blake burst back out into the hallway.

“Adolpha!” she called.

It was too late, Adolpha was gone, and Blake had no idea where her daughter had gone.

Looks like she’d skipped out of class for the day…

To ask out a girl.

Blake groaned and shook her head sufferingly.

Though, on the bright side, it was clear that she was her mothers’ daughter.

-

Romelle was having trouble paying attention in class. She was tapping her finger against her desk irritably, not paying attention to what the teacher was saying.

At the moment, she was distracted by her thoughts, which, as always, was focused on Adolpha.

Her thoughts had always been filled with Adolpha, ever since they were young. She didn’t know exactly how long it had been since she’d realized it, but she was in love with Adolpha. Had been for, well, years. It hurt to admit it, and it had hurt more when she had realized that not only were her feelings  _ not _ requited, but Adolpha was head over heels for her sister, and she was going to be forced to watch that for, most likely, the rest of her life.

When she was younger, she had hoped that one day Adolpha would look her way, would give her that look of utmost affection that was always pointed toward Romy, but the day had never come. She had hoped that she would get over Adolpha, would find someone that was better for her and that would love her the way Romelle loved them. That hadn’t happened either, because every time she saw that beautiful smile on Adolpha’s face, she was lost all over again… even if that smile had never been directed her way.

Adolpha had given all of her attention to Romy for years, all of the attention that Romelle would have given  _ anything _ to have for herself… and yet, Romy had treated Adolpha like she wasn’t there, had ignored her and then had the  **nerve** to insult her  _ right to Romelle’s face. _

She knew she shouldn’t have punched her sister, and she knew that she should apologize, but she hadn’t, and now she didn’t know if she was ever going to.

But that wasn’t what was on Romelle’s mind at the moment.

What she was focused on was Adolpha, who had been giving her that attention that she had always wanted, had been smiling at her like she had only ever smiled at her sister, had been messaging her and talking to her constantly….

Romelle didn’t know how to feel about that.

On one hand, she couldn’t believe her luck. She finally had a connection, a  **relationship** , with Adolpha… and yet, it was almost worse this way, because it wasn’t the relationship she wanted, the one she had dreamed of for years.

And yet… she couldn’t find herself hoping that would change.

She had buried that hope long ago, had told herself the only time she could think about  _ what ifs _ could be in her dreams.

But Adolpha had been acting differently around her lately, and she couldn’t help but imagine what if… what if Adolpha was finally looking back at her?

After years of watching Adolpha stare at Romy, Romelle could finally turn in class and find that Adolpha’s eyes were locked with her own.

She tried to keep herself from getting her hopes up, and yet…

She couldn’t.

Romelle sighed and sank down, putting her face in her hands.

Adolpha had always been her weakness, the one person that could rattle her and make her heart race.

A weakness that Romelle hadn’t let  _ anyone _ know about, for fear of them using it against her, or worse, telling Adolpha.

Not even Romy knew that Romelle had fallen in love long ago, didn’t know why Romelle refused to talk about guys or girls that she liked with her, even though they were twins, even though they’d grown up together and spent most of their time in each other’s heads.

Romelle groaned.

She shouldn’t let herself dare dream, but she did anyway.


	43. I Do Adore

Ilesha skipped on her way back to her table, carrying her food in one hand as she searched for her girlfriends.

It was lunch time, and the group was seated together, except for Lavey and Crystal, whose absence made Ilesha frown worriedly.

The rest of team LAAC was accounted for, what with Adolpha nervously stuttering as she spoke with Romelle and Auburn sitting far too close to Clover while the two whispered and giggled, and the rest of their friends had made it already…

Akio was seated next to Rosemary, the two talking with Saffron and Jin (who were both ignoring Romy), Aella leaning against Jin’s side nonchalantly. Mavros and Cooper were chatting, the second far more enthused than the first…

Ilesha stopped her head count of their friends when she saw two figures walk into the cafeteria.

She grinned when she recognized Crystal and Lavey, and she was about to take a seat when she suddenly realized something.

Crystal was holding… was she holding a ukulele?

Lavey and Crystal whispered quietly to each other, exchanging a few glares before they got ready.

They both turned to Ilesha, who frowned and tilted her head to the side in confusion, wondering what her girlfriends could be up to.

Lavey beckoned for her to come closer to them while Crystal made sure that her instrument was tuned.

Ilesha knew that Crystal could play the ukulele, but she hadn’t had the chance to see her use it too often, considering it was more of a hobby for her girlfriend than anything serious.

Ilesha put down her food quickly and hurried over to where her girlfriends were standing by the entrance, a wide grin on her face.

“Lav-Lav, Stally! What are you doing?” she asked, her head tilting once again.

Crystal and Lavey both stared up at her with a small, loving expression.

Suddenly, Crystal started to play, and they both took a deep breath.

“Everything you do, it sends me,” they sang together. They weren’t perfect singers, but Ilesha found herself beaming in excitement, though she still didn’t know what they were doing, “higher than the moon with every twinkle in your eye, you strike a match that lights my heart on fire!”

Ilesha was struggling not to say or do anything, not wanting to ruin the moment, but it was almost impossible when they were both standing there and singing to her. And a  _ love song _ , no less!

When Ilesha was younger, she had dreamed of this day, and it was suddenly coming true!

Ilesha brought her hands up to her mouth, covering it in shock as she watched them.

“When you're near, I hide my blushing face,” Crystal sang, her face going red even as she said the words. Ilesha giggled quietly, finding it undeniably adorable.

“And trip on my shoelaces,” Lavey added, swaying just a bit to the beat.

“Grace just isn't my forté,” Crystal continued, strumming her instrument as she went.

The cafeteria stared at the three in shock, though they really shouldn’t have been surprised, considering Ilesha and her band broke into song randomly a lot. The rest of their friend group was gaping at Crystal and Lavey in disbelief, however, and that was well deserved.

“But it brings me to my knees when you say,” Lavey sang, staring straight at Ilesha and refusing to acknowledge the people watching them.

“Hello, how are you, my darling, today?” the two sang together, causing Ilesha to almost coo at how cute they were. She somehow managed to stay silent.

“I fall into a pile on the floor,” Crystal sang.

“Puppy love is hard to ignore,” Lavey agreed, giving Ilesha a small grin.

Ilesha really did laugh this time, especially when both of her girlfriends glanced at her hair, which had been slowly turning blonder the longer they sang.

“When every little thing you do, I do adore,” they sang together.

“We're as different as can be,” Lavey started, looking up at Ilesha with a glint to her eyes that made Ilesha giggle again.

“I've noticed you're remarkably relaxed,” Crystal sang, “and I'm overly uptight.”

Ilesha beamed, finding that line fit Crystal  _ perfectly _ . Although, she  **did** find it cute when Crystal was “uptight” as she called it.

“We balance out each other nice!” Lavey and Crystal sang together.

“You wear sandals in the snow,” Crystal started, “in mid-July, I still feel cold!”

“We're opposites in every way,” Lavey sang, and Ilesha had to nod in agreement. “But I can't resist it when you say…”

“Hello, how are you, my darling, today?” they harmonized.

“I fall into a pile on the floor,” Lavey sang.

“Puppy love is hard to ignore,” Crystal continued, and grinned when she saw the excited expression on Ilesha’s face.

“When every little thing you do, I do adore,” they sang together.

“Finding words, I mutter,” Crystal sang.

“Tongue-tied, twisted, foot in mouth, I start to stutter,” Lavey continued.

“Ha, ha, Heaven help me!” Crystal cried, making Ilesha giggle again.

“Hello, how are you, my darling, today?” they sang together. “I fall into a pile on the floor. Puppy love is hard to ignore… When every little thing you do, I do adore!”

Crystal played the final notes, the two smiling shyly up at Ilesha.

“Every little thing you do, I do adore,” they finished.

There was a beat of silence as Ilesha stared down at them with a mixture of shock and excitement.

Finally, the two glanced at each other, as if drawing up the remainder of their confidence.

Behind her back, Lavey counted down from three, and the two spoke as one.

“Ilesha, will you go to the dance with us?”

Ilesha could only giggle in excitement, nodding as she looked down at them.

After she calmed a little, she spoke.

“I’d  **_love_ ** to!” she cried, racing forward and grabbing both of them in a tight hug.

They both made sounds of shock, and Crystal dropped her instrument so that she could lean up and wrap her arms around Ilesha.

The cafeteria was still in a state of disbelief, and everyone who personally knew Lavey and Crystal didn’t seem to understand what had happened.

Ilesha didn’t care, and she leaned down to give them both a kiss on the head.

“Oh, I just can’t  **wait** !” Ilesha cried.

She immediately forgot her lunch and that she had been starving moments before, and she promptly picked up both of her girlfriends before she hurried out of the cafeteria.

Crystal and Lavey weren’t surprised in the slightest, and they subtly gave each other a high-five as Ilesha dashed through the halls to a destination they didn’t know or care to know.


	44. Finally

Adolpha stopped outside of Romelle’s class, her heart pounding in her chest.

She just had to ask, that’s it. She’d waited for  _ years _ last time without getting the chance, she wasn’t going to do that with Romelle, especially when Romelle made…

Well, Adolpha had been scared to admit this to even herself, but Romelle made her feel happier than Romy ever had, Romelle was more special to her than her sister ever had been.

Adolpha hadn’t wanted to say it to herself, but she was going to have to admit it out loud in a minute, so she might as well get ready…

The door to the classroom opened, and Adolpha went onto the tips of her toes, trying to catch a glimpse of Romelle.

For half a second, Adolpha thought she saw her, but she quickly realized that it was just Romy, and she continued to look around.

Romy took a deep breath and walked up to Adolpha, her hands behind her back.

“Hey, Dolph,” she said, clearing her throat.

Adolpha glanced down at her, beaming in excitement.

“Hey, Romy!” she said enthusiastically, glancing up and trying to see if Romelle was anywhere nearby.

“W-what are you so excited for?” Romy asked, shifting a bit and messing with something behind her back.

“I’m going to ask someone to the dance today!” Adolpha said happily.

“Y-you are? Is it someone I know?” Romy asked with a small smirk, trying to hint at Adolpha.

Adolpha glanced down and smirked back.

“Mayyybe,” she said, her word drawn out to show her hidden point.

Romy took a deep breath and readied herself. She had dressed nice that morning, and she was in a formal button down shirt and nice pants, because she had a plan for today.

Romy opened her mouth to ask Adolpha her question, but Adolpha suddenly perked up, her ears shooting up in excitement. Romy hadn’t seen that very often…

“I’ll talk to you later, Romy,” Adolpha said distractedly, stepping around her and beaming down at Romelle.

Romelle had been late to get out of class, having been distracted by her thoughts. She hadn’t even noticed the bell had rung until the rest of the students were filling out of the room, and she had had to pack up her things hurriedly.

She was surprised to say the least when Adolpha appeared in front of her, a goofy grin on her face.

“Hey, Adolpha,” she said, swinging her backpack over her shoulder. “What’s got you so excited?”

Adolpha flushed a bit, looking down at her shyly.

“I just… I just wanted to ask you something. Or, well, I wanted to tell you something and  _ then _ ask you something, but I think you get the point.”

“Uh… not really, I’m a little lost,” Romelle replied, trying not to blush as she looked up at Adolpha’s excited face.

“So was I! I mean, I was lost, but then… but then you helped me, and…,” Adolpha took a deep breath to calm herself. “Alright, alright, here goes.”

Romelle frowned as Adolpha reached out and gently took her hand, holding it as if it was fragile, like she might ruin something. Romelle struggled to rationalize what else could be happening.

“Romelle, over the last few weeks, you’ve been there for me in a way that nobody has. You helped me when I was at my worst, and you stuck by my side through thick and thin. And… now I can’t believe that I ever didn’t notice it, didn’t notice  _ you. _ Romelle, you’re the sweetest, most loyal person I’ve ever met, and while you were helping me, somewhere along the way… I fell in love with you. I don’t know when it happened, but I do know one thing. The person I used to be, the person that didn’t notice you, that liked Romy, is gone. I’m a new person, a person that I love to be, and you’re the perfect match to the new me, the  _ real _ me. What I felt for Romy, I thought that was love. But what I feel for you, Romelle, is the real deal, and I wanted to tell you yesterday, but I couldn’t, because I had to be  _ sure _ that it was you that I loved… because it wouldn’t have been fair if these were misplaced feelings. But… Romelle, you’re everything I could have ever wanted, and the greatest regret of my life is that I didn’t realize this before. And… and I guess that means I have two questions for you. The first is, can you forgive me for being an idiot? And the second is… will you go to the dance with me?”

Romelle was staring up at Adolpha with a blank expression, which caused Adolpha to shift uncertainly.

Suddenly, Romelle’s expression changed. Her eyes widened in disbelief, her hand tightening on Adolpha’s own.

Adolpha decided to take that as a good sign.

“D-do… do you mean that?” Romelle asked. Her voice was soft, barely over a whisper.

Adolpha tentatively reached one hand up and put it on Romelle’s face. She let out an internal sigh of relief when Romelle leaned against her palm.

“Of course I do.”

Romelle’s eyes watered and Adolpha started to freak out, wondering if she had said the wrong thing, but she didn’t get the chance to say anything.

Romelle let go of her hand and took a step back out of her embrace.

Adolpha’s heart stopped from fear, and she opened her mouth to speak, but Romelle took a step forward, pushing off the ground with force.

She grabbed onto Adolpha, looping her arms around her neck and pulling herself closer.

Adolpha made a sound of shock as Romelle kissed her, and she stared down at her with a mixture of shock and excitement.

Finally, Adolpha let her eyes fall shut and she wrapped her arms around Romelle’s waist, pulling her closer and higher into the air.

Romelle reached one hand up and ran it through Adolpha’s hair, the other cupping her face now that Adolpha was holding her.

Romelle had imagined this exact situation countless times in her head over the years, but she’d never thought she’d actually get the chance to  _ kiss Adolpha! _

Now that she was here, she realized that all of her fantasies had been a pale imitation to the real thing, and she would  _ never _ be able to go back. She, unlike her sister, was  **never** going to let Adolpha go.

She was going to make sure that, for as long as Adolpha would have her, she would do nothing but put a smile on that beautiful face.

When they pulled apart, Adolpha let out an adorable, breathless chuckle.

“So is that a yes?” she whispered.

Romelle laughed, not caring that she was still on the verge of crying.

“To both.”

A tear fell down her face, and Adolpha shifted her hold on Romelle so that she could reach one hand up to wipe at her face.

“What’s wrong?” Adolpha asked, eyes growing concerned.

“Nothing. Everything’s… everything’s perfect, Dolphie.”

Adolpha realized that was the first time Romelle had ever called her by a nickname, and she found herself grinning again.

“Dust, if you only knew how long I’d been wanting to do that,” Romelle whispered.

Adolpha smiled at her sweetly, and Romelle leaned closer, continuing to cradle her face with one hand.

“I love you, too, Dolphie. I’ve loved you for so long…,” Romelle sighed and let her forehead settle against Adolpha’s own.

“I may have only loved you for a little while, but I  _ promise _ I’m going to make up for it,” Adolpha replied, giggling a little as she looked at her.

“I’ll hold you to that, you know,” Romelle replied playfully.

“You won’t have to.”

Adolpha closed the distance between them, and for those two, everything was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can we get a round of applause for Romelle? She's awesome and she finally got the girl!


	45. Pain

Romy took a deep breath as she walked out of class, running her finger over the flower behind her back. She had chosen a purple peony flower, which symbolized good luck and love, which she thought was perfect for today.

She was surprised to find that Adolpha was outside of the classroom, like she was waiting for her…

She’d always been waiting for her.

“Hey, Dolph,” Romy said, clearing her throat. Her heart fluttered as she looked up at Adolpha.

Adolpha glanced down at her, beaming in excitement.

“Hey, Romy!” she said enthusiastically.

Romy flushed. Was Adolpha that excited to see her? That made her heart race, and she felt her confidence bolster.

“W-what are you so excited for?” Romy asked, shifting a bit and messing with the flower behind her back.

“I’m going to ask someone to the dance today!” Adolpha said happily.

“Y-you are? Is it someone I know?” Romy asked with a small smirk. Maybe Romy wouldn’t even have to ask her.

Adolpha glanced down and smirked back.

“Mayyybe,” she said, her word drawn out to show her hidden point.

Romy’s heart raced. She was going to ask her, wasn’t she? That’s the only reason she would say it like that!

Romy took a deep breath and readied herself. She had dressed nice that morning, and she was in a formal button down shirt and nice pants, because she had a plan for today.

Romy opened her mouth to ask Adolpha her question, but Adolpha suddenly perked up, her ears shooting up in excitement. Romy hadn’t seen that very often…

“I’ll talk to you later, Romy,” Adolpha said distractedly, stepping around her and beaming down at… Romelle?

Romy turned to watch Adolpha, confusion flooding her.

What was going on?

She watched in confusion, unable to hear what Adolpha was saying to her sister.

Suddenly, Romelle’s eyes filled with tears.

Romy wondered what was wrong with her sister, and she considered going over to check on her…

But Romelle was talking to Adolpha again.

Adolpha reached out and cupped Romelle’s face in her hand, and Romy’s heart sunk.

What was happening?

Romelle then pulled away from Adolpha, and Romy frowned in confusion. What was she-

Romelle took a flying leap toward Adolpha, throwing her arms around her neck and-

Kissing her.

Romelle was kissing Adolpha.

What?!

Since when did Romelle-

Adolpha grinned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around Romelle, her eyes fluttering shut as she pulled her closer.

Romy’s eyes widened in disbelief, and her hand, which had been clutching the flower tightly, loosened.

“Romy, are you-” Jin cut herself off when she saw Romelle and Adolpha’s impromptu makeout session in the middle of the hallway. “Oh, good for them! I’m glad Adolpha finally got up the nerves to tell her!”

Romy’s hand shook as she shoved the flower toward Jin.

Jin caught the flower, her hand fumbling, and she frowned down at it in confusion.

“Wh-”

Romy took off down the hallway, not bothering to listen to whatever else Jin had to say.

Tears clouded her eyes as she took turns, nearly bumping into several other students.

She finally skidded to a stop when she reached team JARR’s dorm room. She fumbled with the door knob for a moment, wiping at her eyes with one hand before she shoved it open.

She slammed the door closed behind her and she sniffled, hurrying over to her dresser.

Change.

She had to change.

She’d gotten dressed up to ask Adolpha out, but now that  _ certainly _ didn’t matter, so she should change, right?

When she was finished, she slowly turned around to look at the corner of the room at the safety corner.

She took slow steps toward it, pulling back the curtain and looking at the piles of pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals.

She took a seat slowly, wrapping herself around one of the larger stuffed animals.

To think, Romy used to think that this corner was stupid…

She took a wracking breath in and squeezed her eyes shut.

The only thing she could see when her eyes were closed was an image of Romelle cupping Adolpha’s face, the two kissing.

The thing that hurt the most? For just a moment, when she saw her identical twin, she could imagine it was her.


	46. Comfort

Jin pushed open her dorm room door, glancing around for a moment. She was trying to find where Romy had gone after she’d run off, and she still couldn’t figure out why she had been so upset.

Jin looked around the dorm, but she didn’t see anyone, so she withdrew.

She didn’t know where else she would look for her little gremlin, but… maybe Lavey would. She was smart, and she was also a gremlin, so maybe there was a place Romy would go if she was upset.

She knocked on team LAAC’s dorm room door, and Lavey opened it a moment later, raising an eyebrow.

She glanced down at Jin’s hand, where she was still holding the flower.

“I’m flattered, but we’re tragically two-third sisters, and cousins to boot, so I’ll have to say no,” Lavey said dryly.

Jin rolled her eyes sufferingly.

“No, Romy gave me this.”

“Romy gave you a flower? Did she ask you out?” Lavey asked, opening the door with a small frown.

“No, she ran off… she might have been crying. I was hoping you could help me figure out what was going on.”

“Crying? She can do that?” Lavey asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jin glared at her.

“This is important, please just take something seriously for  _ once _ ?” Jin pleaded.

Lavey held her hands up in surrender.

“Okay, okay, tell me what happened.”

“Well, Adolpha asked out Romelle-”

“No way!” Lavey grinned in excitement. “I’ve been trying to set those two up for years! What’d she say?”

“What do you think? She said yes. Far as I know, those two are still making out outside class… Dust, that must be awkward, it’s right outside of Weiss’ room.”

-

Weiss stepped out of the classroom, and her eyes went wide. The papers she was holding tumbled from her hands, and both of her hands shot up to cover her mouth.

Adolpha was holding up Romelle with one arm while her free hand cupped Romelle’s face.

Romelle, on the other hand, had both of her hands roaming around Adolpha, one hand creeping up her jacket…

Winter walked out of the classroom, and her eyes widened just slightly.

“Ms. Soliel, Ms. Belladonna-Schnee, I am going to have to remind you that this is a  _ public area, _ and this is very inappropriate,” Winter said.

Romelle pulled away from Adolpha and glared at their teacher while Adolpha flushed a dark shade of red, letting out an awkward laugh.

“Sorry, Aun-I mean, Mrs. Schnee-Polendina!” Adolpha said, her voice a bit higher pitched than normal.

Romelle rolled her eyes fondly and pointed over Adolpha’s shoulder.

“Come on, let’s go, we’ve already been interrupted for  _ far _ too long.”

Adolpha blushed deeper, but she didn’t argue.

Weiss took a shaking breath, and Winter put a hand on her sister’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“At least it was Romelle.”

-

“And then Romy just took off?” Lavey asked, frowning.

“Well, she gave me this first,” Jin said, holding out the flower.

Lavey’s eyes suddenly widened.

“So it wasn’t for you,” Lavey whispered. “Oh no… oh no, no, no…”

“What?” Jin asked worriedly. “Is she okay?”

“Probably not.”

“Why?” Jin demanded.

“Don’t you remember five years ago when she said ‘if I ever give someone a flower, I’m serious about them.’”

“No, I obviously don’t remember that. Why do  _ you _ remember that?” Jin asked, frowning.

“I think you’re missing the point, Jin,” Lavey said, crossing her arms.

Jin’s eyes widened.

“Shit… shit!”

“Precisely.”

Before Jin could respond, the door slammed open, and the two jumped, looking at who had barged in.

Romelle had thrown the door open, and she tugged Adolpha in by the hand, pushing her in front of her.

Adolpha had on a dopey smile, and Romelle smirked up at her.

Romelle stalked forward, causing Adolpha to be forced to walk back until her legs hit the edge of her bed.

Romelle then reached her hand up and shoved her in the chest, causing Adolpha to topple onto the bed.

Romelle’s smirk broadened and she crawled onto the bed, planting herself above Adolpha and resuming where Winter had interrupted.

Jin and Lavey watched their sister and her new girlfriend with abject horror.

“Romelle!” Lavey cried. “I  **live in this dorm** ! I don’t want to think about this whenever I’m trying to go to sleep!”

Romelle rolled her eyes and pulled away from Adolpha sufferingly. Adolpha had a dazed expression on her face, and she watched Romelle with awe.

Romelle smirked down at Adolpha, not looking away as she spoke.

“Then leave.”

With that, she leaned down and kissed Adolpha again.

Lavey gagged and turned away, holding her hand up to cover any view she might get of the pair.

“My dorm’s empty… let’s… let’s go in there,” Jin said, her eyes directed at the ceiling while she thought to herself,  _ this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening, this isn’t happ- _

Lavey hopped off the bed.

“Great idea.”

The two hurried out of the dorm room, leaving Romelle and Adolpha behind.

Jin pulled out her scroll immediately, sending out a message.

Jin: JARR dorm room’s empty, meet me there.

-

Saffron felt her scroll buzz, and she reached into her pocket. A grin grew across her face and she glanced at the closest window, which had a bit of a reflective quality. She ran a hand through her hair before she smirked and took off at a jog.

-

Saffron pushed open the team JARR dorm room door and leaned against the door frame, a small smirk on her face.

“Hey-why are Lavey and the gremlin here?” Saffron said, frowning. She took off her sunglasses to make sure that she wasn’t seeing things.

“You don’t have to say I’m here twice,” Lavey said, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.

“What? No, I mean the other one,” Saffron said, gesturing with her sunglasses at where a bit of pink and brown hair was coming out of the safety corner. “Thought she hated it in there.”

Jin frowned in confusion and turned in confusion to look at where Saffron was pointing, and her eyes widened.

“Romy?!” she cried in shock.

There was no response.

Saffron took a step forward and threw open the curtains, revealing Romy, who was curled up in a ball on the ground while holding one of the stuffed animals.

Saffron almost said something, but she frowned when she heard Romy whisper-singing a familiar song under her breath.

“If I came back now would you still be there?” Romy asked, her eyes squeezed shut. “If I come around would you even care?”

Saffron joined in quietly, trying to place the song.

“Is it too late to turn around? I'm already halfway out of town…”

Saffron’s eyes widened.

“Now I know how I let you down, oh, I finally figured it out…”

Saffron trailed off and Romy sniffled as she sang quietly to herself.

“I forgot to love you, love you, love you…”

Saffron leaned down and yanked the headphones out of Romy’s ears, causing her to shriek in shock.

“Why are you listening to 7 Minutes?!” Saffron hissed.

Jin hurried over and grabbed Saffron’s arm, tugging her backward.

Romy had curled up tighter, and she was looking at Saffron with wide eyes.

“I-I’m not,” she lied.

“What’s 7 Minutes?” Jin asked.

“It’s a song about someone losing the love of their life,” Saffron said, frowning. “Why are you so upset?”

Romy cried quietly, pulling her stuffed animal closer to her chest.

“I thought that the safety corner was supposed to be yelling-free,” Romy muttered.

Jin’s eyes filled with concern, and she let go of Saffron’s arm, gently walking over to where Romy was curled up.

“Hey… hey, we’re not going to yell at you,” Jin said gently. “Do you want to talk about it, or do you just want to cry?”

Romy kept crying, and Jin took that as her answer.

“Do you want to be alone, or-”

Romy shook her head, and Jin nodded.

“Okay, okay,” Jin said, “come here.”

Jin reached out and grabbed Romy around the waist, pulling her into her lap.

Romy curled up in her arms and put her head on Jin’s shoulder.

Jin looked up and made eye contact with Saffron before her head jerked to the side, clearly indicating for Saffron to sit next to her.

Saffron shook her head and put her hands up.

Jin’s eyes narrowed, and Saffron shook her head again, more vehemently this time.

Jin raised an eyebrow as she glared, and Saffron groaned silently, looking back at Jin with a pleading expression.

Jin didn’t show any sign of being affected, so Saffron sighed and stalked over, plopping down beside Jin.

Jin was about to demand that Lavey join them too, but suddenly the door slammed open.

Crystal stalked in.

“Was  **NOBODY** going to warn me that Romelle and Adolpha were making out on her bed?! I was just supposed to see that shit with my own two eyes?!” Crystal cried.

Romy flinched at the words, and the tears started up full force again. She clung to Jin’s jacket tightly, and Jin looked up.

“Lav, get her out of here,” Jin hissed.

Crystal jumped.

“Shit, didn’t see you over there, Jin! Wh-Lav, what are you-”

Lavey shoved her out of the room, following after, and closed the door behind them.

Jin glanced over at Saffron, who huffed pointedly, crossing her arms.

Jin rolled her eyes and looked down at Romy before gesturing with one hand at her.

Saffron gaped and threw up her hands silently.

Jin gestured down at Romy again, and Saffron sighed sufferingly before she scooted closer to the two, putting her head on Jin’s shoulder and wrapping an arm around both of them.

Saffron supposed this was her life now.

She almost wished she hadn’t moved into the JARR dorm room.

Almost.


	47. Comfort Food

Romy had quieted down a little while later, and Jin gently pulled away to look at her.

“Are you ready to talk about it?” Jin asked softly.

Romy sniffled and slowly nodded.

Saffron patted her awkwardly on the arm, trying and failing to be comforting.

Romy didn’t seem to notice.

“W-well, this morning I got dressed up, and I bought a flower because I wanted it to be nice… and I was going to ask after classes were through… A-and she came up to me all excited, so I thought maybe _she’d_ ask me, b-but then she just went over to Romelle, a-and they kissed…”

Jin frowned in confusion, not following what Romy was saying.

Saffron’s eyes widened.

“You were going to ask Adolpha to go with you to the dance, weren’t you?” Saffron asked, moving a bit closer and putting her hand on Romy’s knee.

Romy sniffled and nodded again, and Jin gasped.

“That’s why you ran away when they k-”

Saffron covered Jin’s mouth quickly, stopping her before she could say the word “kiss.”

“Oh, Romy, I’m so sorry,” Jin said gently, reaching out and running her hand down her back soothingly.

Romy sniffled and moved closer, putting her head back on Jin’s chest.

“She’s right,” Romy whispered. “I **am** everyone’s problem.”

Jin shushed her and leaned down.

“No you’re not. You’re not a problem,” Jin whispered.

She elbowed Saffron.

“Yeah, you’re not a problem,” Saffron said, though the glare Jin gave her told her that it hadn’t been exactly convincing.

“Uh, hey, Romy, you want some ice cream? That always makes me feel better when I’m sad. Jin and I could go get you some.”

Jin glanced at Saffron with a small frown.

“Both?” she mouthed silently.

Saffron didn’t seem to notice, standing up and dusting off her legs.

“Okay, you just wait right here and we’ll be back. Or, better yet, we can put you on the bed!” Saffron said quickly.

Jin was about to argue, but Romy spoke up.

“Okay,” Romy said quietly.

Jin glared at Saffron for a moment before she sighed.

“Okay, just stay still for a few minutes and we’ll be right back. You like chocolate?” Romy nodded. “Okay, we’ll get you that.”

Jin set Romy down on her bed gently before she turned, making eye contact and glaring at Saffron.

Saffron winced and shrugged as if to say “I panicked.”

Jin sighed and stalked out of the room quickly, grabbing Saffron’s gloved hand in her own to tug her outside.

One of Saffron’s gloves flew off of her hand suddenly, flying toward Romy. It looped around her earbuds and yanked them back.

Saffron held out her hand, and her glove slid into place, the latch closing with a _click_ and she tightened her fingers around the earbuds.

“What? Why’d you do that?” Jin asked, frowning.

“Don’t want her listening to sad songs again, do you?” Saffron asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jin gave her the barest of smiles and nodded as they headed out.

Romy waited a moment before she leaned over and pulled her spare headphones out of the drawer, putting them in her scroll and turning on the next song.

“Roses are red, violets are blue… I don't sleep at night, cause I'm thinking of you. Alone with my thoughts.”

The door opened, and Romy leaned up a bit in bed. Her eyes widened in shock.

Romelle was giggling, and Adolpha was holding her high in the air as they walked in.

“Dolphie, stop it!” Romelle said, laughing again and swatting at Adolpha’s arm.

Adolpha laughed and strode over to Romelle’s bed, which was horrifyingly close to Romy’s own, and toppled on top of it.

“No! I’m going to cuddle you to death! Succumb to your fate, mere mortal!” Adolpha said dramatically.

Romelle laughed in a carefree way that Romy hadn’t heard in months.

Adolpha had wrapped herself around Romelle, her arms and legs curled around Romelle’s small form with her head resting on top of Romelle’s head so that she covered her completely.

“If that is my fate, I’ll meet it with open arms,” Romelle said, curling up closer to Adolpha.

Romelle had settled herself on Adolpha’s shoulder, and she was smiling up at her with the most loving expression Romy had ever seen on her twin’s face.

“Trapped in this bed… know I'd give the world, just to see you again and your imperfections perfectly drawn up,” the words came from her headphones, and Romy tried to take her eyes off of the two, but she found it impossible.

Adolpha beamed down at Romelle, and Romy had the perfect view of her. The light seeped into the room, and it reflected on Adolpha’s face beautifully. A bit of her hair fell into her face, and Romy stared at it, wanting nothing more than to-

Romelle leaned closer to her girlfriend and reached her hand up gently. She reverently pushed a bit of Adolpha’s hair out of her face, and Romy couldn’t stop herself from watching.

“But I was a fool to think you were in love…”

Adolpha’s expression turned softer and she leaned down, gently placing a kiss against Romelle’s lips.

“So roses are red, violets are blue…”

Romy couldn’t get the image of the two out of her mind.

“It's all in my head, no matter what I do.”

Romelle pulled back and cupped Adolpha’s face in her hand, staring at it intently, as if she was trying to sear this moment into her mind forever.

Romelle ran her thumb over Adolpha’s face.

“I love you,” Romelle whispered.

“It seems you've lost your love for me,” the song continued.

“I love you, too,” Adolpha said gently.

Romelle beamed and curled up closer to her girlfriend, letting out a content sigh.

“Even though just two weeks ago you were happy.”

Romy took a deep breath, wiping at her eyes before they could see anything.

“It seems you've lost your sympathy.”

Adolpha placed a gentle kiss to the top of Romelle’s head, rubbing her arm softly.

Romy couldn’t help but wish she was in Romelle’s place, Adolpha cradling her in her arms.

“But I guess it's my fault, cause I let you slip from me.”

She paused the music, not knowing if she could listen to it any longer without crying.

-

Lavey: You said to give you updates? Adolpha and Romelle just went to your dorm.

Jin: Get Adolpha out of there NOW!

-

Adolpha felt her scroll buzz, and she let out a sigh, reaching into her pocket and checking it.

She groaned.

“I forgot we had practice… I could have sworn we were free today…”

Adolpha turned to Romelle, who had a slightly sour expression on her face.

“I’m sorry, but I gotta go…,” Adolpha leaned down and gave her one last kiss, “I love you.”

Romelle stared at her like she was magic.

“I love you, too.”

Adolpha glanced back at Romy, who shut her eyes immediately, her heart pounding.

“Is Romy okay?” Adolpha whispered.

Romelle waved her hand.

“She’s fine, babe, probably just asleep. Just go to practice.”

At the word “babe,” Adolpha gained a goofy grin, and Romy flinched.

Romelle watched her girlfriend go with a loving look in her eyes.

Romelle then hopped to her feet, humming to herself, and then dropped down to where Romy’s bed was.

She grabbed Romy’s shoulders and shaking her.

Romelle beamed when Romy opened her eyes.

“Guess what?!” Romelle cried excitedly, taking her sister’s earbuds out for her.

Romy put on a fake smile as she looked back at Romelle.

“What?”

“Adolpha asked me to the dance!” Romelle cried, her voice more of a squeal.

She giggled in excitement and then fell back onto the bed beside her sister.

“Oh, I finally get to tell you! The reason I was so angry at you for insulting Adolpha is because… I’m in love with her!” Romelle waved her hands excitedly. “I have been for _years,_ and you just kept blowing her off, but now… now she’s in love with me too!”

Romy nodded along, trying to seem excited even as her heart clenched.

“And I know she is too, because she looks at me like she used to look at you!”

Romy frowned in confusion, and Romelle didn’t need _any_ words to encourage her to continue.

“She always had this lovestruck look in her eyes when she stared at you, and her face made this adorable little expression where she was, like, in awe of you and didn’t deserve to be in your presence, but you never noticed! But now she _looks at_ ** _me_** that way! Just like in my dreams! And she even said that she wasn’t really in love with you, even though she thought she was, and she loves me! A little while later she said ‘you taught me what real love was!’ Isn’t that just so **sweet**?! Oh, I always _knew_ she’d be a romantic… I guess I finally get to see it! Oh! And I always imagined what it would be like to just be _held_ by her… let me tell you, it’s **amazing**! She’s so gentle and soft, like she’s scared I’m going to break or something!”

Romelle was giggling again, and Romy forced a grin onto her face, not wanting Romelle to go back to not talking to her again. That would just make everything _worse_.

“She said to thank you for insulting her that day in the sparring room, because she heard it! And she said if she hadn’t heard it, she might have **never** thought about moving on from you! So, in a way, you’re the reason that we’re together!” Romelle grinned at her sister. “So I guess I can’t be _too_ mad at you for that… but if you **ever** insult my girlfriend again, I will _fucking end you_.”

Romy’s eyes widened, and Romelle took it as fear.

Adolpha… had heard that? Was that why everyone was being mean to her lately? But… that wasn’t as important.

Adolpha had heard it.

Romy… had had Adolpha wrapped around her finger, and then she’d… she’d thrown it all away, and Romelle…

Romelle hadn’t wasted a _moment_ to pick up what she’d discarded, even as Romy scrambled to get a second chance.

Romy’s heart sunk.

She hadn’t even deserved a second thought with Adolpha, had she? Not after what she’d said about her and how she’d treated her all those years.

Romelle deserved Adolpha. She deserved happiness, and she deserved a sister that would celebrate with her after everything she’d been through.

“Romelle, why didn’t you tell me you were in love with Adolpha before?!” Romy cried. “I’m-I’m so happy for you!”

Romelle _beamed_ in excitement, bouncing up and down on the bed like a child.

Romelle laughed and was about to respond, but she paused when her scroll went off.

Romelle giggled as soon as she saw what the message was.

“Awww,” she cooed, “Adolpha’s so sweet! Look what she sent me!”

Dolphie <3: Going to practice! Miss you every second! 😘

Romelle pulled back her scroll and Romy winced.

Romelle: Miss you too! 😍

Romy looked away while Romelle grinned down at her scroll excitedly.

-

“Shit,” Jin muttered.

“What?” Saffron asked, licking a bit of ice cream before it could get on her glove and stain it.

“Adolpha and Romelle are in the dorm, we have to hurry back!” Jin cried.

Saffron hummed in response, and Jin took off at a sprint.

Jin glanced over her shoulder in confusion when she didn’t hear footsteps behind her.

“Are you coming?!” Jin shouted.

“Just a sec!” Saffron replied, finishing off her ice cream before dusting off her gloves against each other.

“This is important, Saffron, and-”

Saffron shoved her hands into her pocket and took a step casually. She activated the Gravity Dust in her boots, and she shot into the air. A bit of wind from her belt propelled her forward and she flew several yards before she took another step, the process repeating.

She caught up to Jin in three steps, even as she kept sprinting.

“Dust, Jin, don’t you even care? Pick up the pace!” Saffron called over her shoulder.

Jin growled and ran faster, but she was falling behind.

Saffron smirked.

“Here, let me give you… a **hand**!”

Saffron unclasped the latches to her gloves, which were infused with Dust, and let her gloves go flying backward.

Her gloves were both infused with Dust, like lots of clothing nowadays, and she could control them with ease, as if they were her own hands.

Jin cried out in shock as the gloves latched onto her, tugging her into the air and toward Saffron.

Saffron spun in midair, holding out her hands.

Her gloves slid back on with ease, and she grabbed Jin, smirking at her.

Jin flushed a bit, rolling her eyes.

“What? Don’t like the ride? Maybe the view?” Saffron teased.

“Just get us there fast.”

Saffron smirked.

“You might just regret that.”

Saffron pushed off the ground on her next step with far more force, and they were shot forward with great speed.

Jin cried out and clung to Saffron, causing her to smirk.

“Told ya so!”

-

Romy glanced over at Romelle, taking in her appearance.

Like herself, her hair was no longer up in its ponytail, though she knew Romelle had a **far** different reason for that. She looked… different.

Romy soon realized it was because of how excited she looked, alternating between talking about Adolpha to letting out random giggles as she thought about everything that had happened.

A few times, she’d even pinched herself to make sure that she wasn’t dreaming.

The door slammed open, and Romy jumped. Romelle didn’t seem to notice, considering she was laying back and staring at the ceiling with a dazed expression.

Jin was panting, her hair wild and tussled as if from the wind, and she was acting like she’d run the whole way there.

Saffron rolled her eyes at the dramatics.

“Hey!” Jin panted. “We’re back with ice cream!”

“Romelle was just…,” Romy forced a smile, “talking to me about Adolpha.”

Jin’s eyes widened, and even Saffron glanced around.

Romelle sat up at the name, and she went to continue talking about her new girlfriend, but Jin quickly distracted them with ice cream.

Saffron, once again, wondered when this had become her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw I wanted to do a shout out to Lion454 for guessing Romelle and Adolpha getting together since the cheat sheet because of the theme songs! I thought that was awesome, wanted to call it out.


	48. Morning Of

“Stop wiggling,” Cooper chided.

“Sorry!” Ilesha cried, trying to sit still as her friend did her makeup for the dance.

Mavros rolled their eyes as Cooper continued to work with Ilesha.

“It’s a lost cause, man!”

“Hey!” Cooper cried. “That’s mean!”

“But true.”

Ilesha didn’t seem to be paying attention to them, a wide grin on her face.

She was excited for the dance, obviously, and her girlfriends hadn’t just asked her to go, but they’d done it through  _ song _ !

Like how awesome was that?!

Ilesha was seated on the bed, dressed in a nice black suit, which she hoped would match with whatever her girlfriends were wearing, though she didn’t know, considering couples  _ apparently _ had to be in different dorm rooms.

Akio had on a nice suit too, one that made him look almost like he was matching with Ilesha, which was likely to make Rosemary rather frustrated.

Cooper and Mavros were also in suits, but Ilesha hadn’t given either of them a spare look as she thought about the night.

Akio was staring off into the distance, clearly thinking about his own girlfriend and date.

Clover was the only person in the room that wasn’t from team IMCA, and he was fixing his blue tux with a small, worried expression on his face.

“Is my corsage in the right place?” Clover asked.

“There’s no  _ wrong place, _ ” Akio said, rolling his eyes.

“Yes, it’s in the right place,” Cooper said comfortingly, not looking up as he worked on Ilesha, trying to make sure she didn’t squirm.

“I just want to make sure that Auburn has the perfect night,” Clover said, starting to pace back and forth.

“It’ll be perfect with you there,” Akio said, rolling his eyes, “you’ve seen how he looks at you, right? He’s clearly happy just to have you with him, no matter where you are… but it’s sweet that you’re trying so hard.”

Clover beamed at Akio and Akio just shrugged, not looking at him.

Ilesha squealed as soon as Cooper finished.

She couldn’t wait!

-

Romelle smoothed her dress. It was short, though not too much so as it hung a bit down below her knees, and simplistic, though it was a nice, light shade of gray.

Jin was standing next to her, in a nice yellow dress, her makeup finally done after Saffron had volunteered to do it for her.

Romelle hadn’t stopped smiling all day, and Jin wanted to be a little upset with her for hurting Romy’s feelings, even if it was an accident, but she found it impossible, considering just how excited she was to take Jin’s sister to the dance.

Romy was sitting down on her bed, glancing over at the safety corner every once in a while, and Jin could tell that she wasn’t happy. She was wearing a dress that was cut very similar to her sister’s, though hers was a deep shade of navy blue.

“We get it, Romelle, you’re excited to take Adolpha to the dance,” Aella said, rolling her eyes as she lounged on the bed. She was in a maroon red dress, but she didn’t seem to notice that she was wearing anything nicer than her normal clothing.

Jin watched Romy flinch at Aella’s words, though Romelle was beaming, so Jin didn’t know anything she could say.

“Stop worrying, tonight’s supposed to be fun,” Saffron whispered.

“For most people, it’s fun and romantic, but for Romy…,” Jin sighed.

Saffron rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses.

“You can’t worry about her all night, that’s not fair to you,” Saffron pointed out.

“You have no right to talk about not worrying, Saff. You’re still wearing  _ those _ ,” Jin said, gesturing at Saffron’s hands, which were still covered by their typical gloves.

Saffron winced and then put her hands behind her back.

“You see, you’re not talking about the  _ progress _ I made! I’m not in combat boots, and I don’t have my belt!” Saffron pointed out, gesturing at herself. She was dressed in a nice dark black suit and a red button down shirt underneath. She did have a belt, but it was a  _ different _ belt.

“Does that suit have Dust infused in it?” Jin asked, crossing her arms.

There was a beat of silence.

“No?”

“That’s the worst lie I’ve ever heard,” Jin said.

“Look, the important thing is that I have less weapons than usual. That’s progress!”

“Not if there’s Dust in your clothes!”

“It’s progress.”

Jin huffed and rolled her eyes, turning away from her and looking out at the room.

She was still worried, but… maybe she  _ should _ give Saffron’s advice some thought…

-

Rosemary put the final touches on Crystal’s makeup before she smiled to herself.

“I’m done, now go join your gay disaster sisters,” Rosemary said, gesturing at Adolpha and Lavey.

“Hey, you’re not much better. I mean, you have Saffron for a sister,” Crystal said defensively.

Rosemary reached up a hand and tilted her sunglasses down a bit so that she could look at Crystal.

“Unlike you, my family isn’t filled with gay disasters, but  _ suave _ gays. Get your facts straight. Or, rather in this case, gay.”

Crystal flushed and rolled her eyes.

“I don’t see Saffron swooping many ladies off their feet.”

Rosemary smirked and pushed her sunglasses back up her nose.

“Then you aren’t watching close enough.”

Crystal wanted to ask what she was talking about, but Lavey grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feet.

“Come on, you know Ilesha will freak out if we’re late.”

Crystal glanced at her sister, taking her in for a moment. She was wearing a nice crimson red dress that matched her hair. Crystal was wearing a light blue dress, but other than that, both of the dresses looked rather similar.

Rosemary pushed herself to her feet and glanced around the room. She herself was in a light red dress, which might be bright enough to be  _ technically _ considered pink.

Unlike her sisters, Adolpha was wearing a dark gray suit, which she seemed very happy with.

Auburn was wearing a nice dark blue suit, which he kept grinning at and muttering something about “matching” excitedly.

Rosemary rolled her eyes at his words. Truly, this family had  **no** sense of style, but they were passable today.

She rather missed Saffron, considering they were the only two in this school who really understood what the word  _ fashion _ meant.


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the rock cover of the first song!!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClT6IVuxogI

“Remember, you’re on gremlin watch with me tonight,” Jin said, leaning a bit closer to Saffron.

Saffron huffed.

“Fine, fine, I’ll try to get away from the band for a few songs,” Saffron replied, rolling her eyes.

“Try to keep an eye on her from the stage, she could slip away easily,” Jin whispered.

Saffron smirked, raising an eyebrow.

“I think I got it covered, Jin.”

Saffron turned and walked over to where Romy was slumped in one of the seats, not looking up from her lap.

Saffron leaned down and patted her on the shoulder.

“Hey, it’ll be alright, okay? I’ll talk to you later,” Saffron said. She patted her on the back one last time before she left.

Saffron hopped onto the stage and tapped Ilesha on the shoulder.

“Hey, Il, I know you wanted me to sing lead on some songs tonight, but I-”

Ilesha spun with a wide grin on her face.

“Oh, can you do that for the first song too?! I  _ really _ want to go dance with Crystal and Lavey for this one, I mean, it’s our song and all, and I know you’re not here with anyone tonight, so… please?”

Saffron sighed.

“Fine. Fine! I’ll sing the first song… but we’re doing the rock cover.”

Ilesha beamed in excitement and threw her arms around Saffron.

“I knew you would! Thank you!” she cried.

“Yeah, yeah… like you said, I’m… I’m not here with anyone.”

“Exactly! Thanks, Saffy!”

Ilesha then took off to join her girlfriends while Saffron organized the band.

Ilesha skidded to a stop, reaching up to tap two people on the shoulders.

Crystal and Lavey turned at the same time, and Ilesha grinned down at them.

Crystal was dressed in a beautiful blue dress, and Lavey was wearing a crimson red one that looked almost like blood. Ilesha wrapped her arms around both of them and pulled them into a tight hug.

“Oh, you both look so beautiful! I can’t believe I get to date both of you!” Ilesha cried.

She swooped down and gave Lavey a kiss, pulling her close against her chest.

Ilesha had her hands on Lavey’s hips, lifting her until she was on the tips of her toes, and Lavey grabbed the collar of her suit, pulling closer.

Crystal gave them a moment before she started to tap her foot in frustration, looking up at the two.

When Lavey looked like she was about to move her hands to run through Ilesha’s brown hair, Crystal tapped her sister on the shoulder irritably.

Lavey waved her off, and Crystal growled, grabbing her sister by the wrist, just as she was about to deepen the kiss, and tugged her backward.

Lavey cried out, and Crystal smirked at her smugly, shoving her out of the way before she took her spot, leaning closer to Ilesha and grabbing her face in her hands.

“You look stunning,” Crystal whispered before pulling Ilesha down.

Lavey looked away from her sister and Ilesha pointedly, huffing and crossing her arms.

Ilesha was about to lift Crystal into the air, but Saffron spoke into the microphone.

“Alright,” Saffron let out a sigh to herself and closed her eyes, “dudes and dudettes,” she legitimately wondered how that had become her band’s signature opening, “who’s ready to get this dance started?!”

There was loud cheering.

“Yeah, that’s what I like to hear! And what better way than with the Adax Band?!”

Ilesha beamed in excitement.

“And for our first song, we’ve got a request from the girl that’s  _ supposed _ to be up here instead of messing around with her girlfriends,” Saffron said, looking pointedly at a laughing Ilesha.

The music started up after a moment, and Ilesha grabbed onto Crystal and Lavey’s hands, dragging them over to the dance floor.

“They’re playing one of our songs!”

“One of?” Crystal asked playfully.

“Yeah! We’ve got a whole  _ playlist _ ! I’m going to have the band cover it one day!” Ilesha cried excitedly.

Lavey and Crystal both blushed, glancing at their girlfriend as she led them to the dance floor.

The two girls were trying to place what song was playing, but they didn’t recognize it in the slightest.

That is, until Saffron started to sing.

“Now's your moment,” Saffron leaned toward the microphone. “Floating in a blue lagoon!”

Lavey blushed as soon as she recognized the song, remembering the last time she had listened to this song with  **far** too much detail. Ilesha had been giving her a makeover, and Lavey had… well, she’d panicked when everyone, including Ilesha, had started to sing this.

“Girl, you better do it soon,” Ilesha sang under her breath, grinning at Lavey as she pulled her closer, starting to dance with the two.

“No time will be better!” Ilesha seemed to be taunting Crystal and Lavey, considering she was too far away for either of them to reach.

“She don't say a word, and she won't say a word until you kiss the girl!” Saffron sang, her head bobbing to the beat as she played the bass.

Romy sat up a bit, watching the band with a bit more intensity.

“I didn’t know that Saffron could sing.”

Jin was smiling up at the stage, leaning back in her seat.

“Yeah, she’s really good,” Jin said.

Romy glanced over at her and nodded, the barest of smiles ghosting on her lips.

“Sha-la-la-la-la-la, my, oh my!”

Ilesha grinned down at Crystal and Lavey.

“Looks like the girl's too shy, ain't gonna kiss the girl!”

Lavey’s eyes suddenly widened in shock. She hadn’t even noticed that the pronouns had been changed, and she blushed, glancing up at Ilesha.

“Sha-la-la-la-la-la, ain't that sad?” Ilesha sang along, leaning down and grinning at Crystal as the two locked eyes. Crystal flushed, her tail puffing out a bit as she watched her.

“It's such a shame, too bad, you're gonna miss the girl!”

Ilesha giggled as they both pulled a bit closer, and she watched them lovingly.

“Sha-la-la-la-la-la, don't be scared!” Ilesha sang quietly and gave them a wink.

On stage, Saffron rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses.

“You better be prepared, go on and kiss the girl!”

Saffron glanced up and saw Jin and Romy watching her. A small smile grew across her lips, and she played with more energy.

“Sha-la-la-la-la-la, don't stop now, don't try to hide it! How you wanna kiss the girl, go on and kiss the girl!” Ilesha sang and grinned down at her girlfriends fondly.

Finally, Lavey did what she should have done the last time she’d heard this song. She grabbed Ilesha around the neck and pulled her down, connecting their lips.

Ilesha giggled and Lavey smiled into the kiss.

Yeah, it might have taken a while this time, but in the end, Lavey  _ always _ got what she wanted…

Even if she ended up having to share it with her annoying sister.

-

Romy had the smallest of smiles on her face as she sat beside Jin. The two had been talking, and the distraction had been nice. Not to mention that Saffron was doing most of the lead vocals tonight, since Akio and Ilesha were constantly ditching to go dance with their girlfriends, and she had been picking up the slack.

Romy was even thinking that maybe she’d go and dance with Aella, who was having  _ far _ too much fun as she danced on her own to all of the fast love songs.

But that’s when Romelle and Adolpha walked onto the dance floor.

It was between songs, and the two of them had been seated together talking for the last few minutes, but now they were ready.

Romelle had on an excited expression, and she was looking at Adolpha with nothing short of awe.

The music started up, and Romy couldn’t look away, even when Jin started to try and get her attention.

“This next song’s a request from the  _ most romantic _ wolf Faunus I know for her new girlfriend! Let’s set the mood, shall we?!” Saffron called.

Romy slumped in her seat.

“I don't know just how it happened; I let down my guard.”

Adolpha wrapped her arms around Romelle, looking down at her with a painfully familiar expression.

“Swore I'd never fall in love again, but I fell hard.”

Romelle reached her arms up to wrap around Adolpha slowly, as if reverently.

“Guess I should have seen it coming; caught me by surprise.”

Adolpha was smiling down at Romelle just slightly, and Romy suddenly recognized the look in Adolpha’s eyes. It was awe, as if she couldn’t believe that Romelle was here in her arms.

“I wasn't looking where I was going; I fell into your eyes.”

Adolpha was watching Romelle like she was some sort of angel or greater being that Adolpha didn’t deserve to be dancing with. Romy recognized that look, and hadn’t thought anything about it for years on end.

“You came into my crazy world like a cool and cleansing wave!” Saffron cried.

Romy had never looked at Adolpha like that, not until recently, but Romelle was staring at her with the same expression of adoration, and she reached one hand up to cup her face.

“Before I, I knew what hit me, baby, you were flowing through my veins.”

Romelle leaned closer to Adolpha, putting her head on her shoulder as she listened to the song, wondering how Adolpha had found a song that fit so perfectly. She thought about making a mental reminder to put this song in literally  _ every _ playlist she had, but she knew she wouldn’t have to make herself remember. She’d never forget, and she was sure of it.

“I'm addicted to you, hooked on your love.”

Adolpha was still looking at Romelle like that, and Romy heard her sister’s voice in her head.

_ She always had this lovestruck look in her eyes when she stared at you, and her face made this adorable little expression where she was, like, in awe of you and didn’t deserve to be in your presence, but you never noticed! But now she looks at me that way! _

“Like a powerful drug I can't get enough of!”

Adolpha ran her hand through Romelle’s hair gently.

_ Don’t worry, Romelle, _ Romy thought to herself, _ I’m noticing it now. _

“Lost in your eyes, drowning in blue!”

Adolpha smiled as she looked into Romelle’s eyes, focusing on her blue one rather than the pink one.

“Out of control, what can I do? I'm addicted to you!”

Adolpha smiled fondly as Romelle tapped on her wrist three times.

“I couldn't live without you now, oh, I know I'd go insane!” Saffron sang, one of her gloves flying off of her hand to tilt the microphone toward her as she played her bass guitar.

Even her singing couldn’t comfort Romy as she watched the two.

“I wouldn't last one night alone, baby!”

Romelle seemed to be done with the dancing, considering she tilted her head up and captured Adolpha’s lips with her own.

“I couldn't stand the pain!”

Romy finally forced herself to look away, and Jin grabbed her by the hand, tugging her to her feet.

“Come on, how about we get some food? Are you hungry?” Jin asked gently, pulling her away from the scene.

Romy didn’t respond, didn’t know if she  _ could _ respond, as she stumbled behind Jin.

Meanwhile, Romelle pulled away from Adolpha, who started to grin excitedly.

“I’m addicted to you,” Adolpha whispered.

Romelle rolled her eyes fondly.

“Dork.”

Adolpha chuckled, and Romelle pulled her closer as the song came to an end.


	50. Gonna Love Ya

Jin had her hand on top of Romy’s shoulder and she squeezed it consolingly.

“Hey, it’s alright, don’t worry. You’ll move on eventually, you know?” Jin said gently.

Romy sighed as she picked at the food on her plate.

“Yeah… I guess…”

“Trust me, you’ll get over her. I had a crush on someone until I realized they were in love with my sister too,” Jin said soothingly.

Romy glanced over at her, looking a little interested.

“You did? On who?” she asked.

Jin was about to speak, but she hesitated, her eyes going wide.

“It’s not important who it was.”

Romy rolled her eyes.

“So you’re just trying to make me feel better,” she muttered.

Jin groaned internally.

“No! I-it’s just…”

Romy glanced at her, the ghost of a smirk growing across her lips, almost like she used to smile when she was planning one of her gremlin exploits.

“Was it Ilesha?”

Jin’s eyes widened.

“What?!” she cried. “Dust no! Gross, Romy!”

Romy laughed quietly, not looking at the dance floor as the next song started up.

“Then who?”

Jin sighed.

She really had dug this hole for herself, hadn’t she? She just  _ couldn’t keep her mouth shut, _ could she? Saffron had been right, she should have just tried to be quietly supportive…

“Romelle.”

Romy’s eyes widened in shock, and she stared at Jin in disbelief.

“ **Romelle** ?!” she hissed. “You liked  _ her _ ?!”

Jin flushed a bit, and she rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, I did, for about a month before we started at Beacon. As soon as we did, I realized she was in love with Adolpha, and I dropped it.”

Romy glanced over at her, and she let out a sigh, slumping.

“How long have you liked her?” Jin asked gently.

Romy didn’t look at her.

“A few days.”

“That’s it?”

Romy groaned, putting her face in her hands.

“Yeah.”

“See? You’ll get over her in  _ no time. _ Trust me, Adolpha is  _ not _ perfect,” Jin said, her voice a little playful at the end.

Romy felt a stab of guilt at the words.

“It’s… it’s not just about her, alright? I mean, yeah, it stings that the girl I like is in love with my  **identical twin** of all people, but… I  _ did _ say some really mean things about her, I treated her bad when she  _ actually liked me, _ and… I missed my shot.”

Jin patted her on the shoulder, and she decided not to comment on Adolpha clearly being  _ far _ more in love with Romelle than she had ever been with Romy. Jin was proud of herself for not mentioning that.

“And…,” Romy slumped even further, and her voice became so quiet that Jin could barely hear it. “What if everyone’s right? What if  _ Romelle’s _ right? Am… am I everyone’s problem?”

Jin was about to respond, but Romy looked up, and the two locked eyes.

“Am I a bad person?”

Jin moved closer to her teammate.

“No, no you’re not a bad person, Romy,” she said comfortingly. “You can be a bit rough around the edges, but you’re a  _ good _ person.”

Romy started to cry, and the music started up.

Ilesha had taken over lead vocals again, and Saffron had tried to get off of the stage to join them, but Ilesha had caught her and said something about needing her for the next song.

Saffron watched Romy and Jin worriedly from the stage, wondering what was going on.

As Jin quietly tried to comfort Romy, Ilesha started to sing.

“There are days…,” Ilesha swayed to the beat, “I wake up and I pinch myself.”

Auburn grabbed Clover by the hand with an excited grin. Neither of them were very good at dancing, considering they were both  _ exceedingly _ clumsy, but that didn’t stop them from going onto the dance floor and giggling to each other.

“You're with me, not someone else, and I am scared, yeah, I'm still scared… that it's all a dream.”

Adolpha was surprised to find that Romelle was looking up at her lovingly as they slowly danced to the song.

“'Cause you still look perfect as days go by, even the worst ones, you make me smile!”

Ilesha locked eyes with Crystal and Lavey as she played, smiling at both of them fondly.

Crystal and Lavey watched her, both nearby the stage and giving her quiet support.

“I'd stop the world if it gave us time!”

Rosemary glanced up at Akio as they played, and she gave him a small smile, looking down when he winked at her, a light blush coating her face.

“'Cause when you love someone, you open up your heart.”

Adolpha leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Romelle’s head.

“When you love someone, you make room.”

Lavey and Crystal both smiled as Ilesha winked at them pointedly, swaying with the microphone as if slow dancing with it.

“If you love someone, and you're not afraid to lose 'em, you'll probably never love someone like I do!”

Romelle smiled and let out a giggle as Adolpha twirled her to the music.

Romy didn’t see the two, but the songs made her flinch and curl up closer to Jin.

“When you say, you love the way I make you feel.”

Auburn let out a squeal and started to laugh as Clover grabbed him by the waist and hoisted him into the air. Auburn laughed and relaxed in his boyfriend’s arms. Clover them pulled him closer, sealing the line with a kiss.

“Everything becomes so real. Don't be scared, no, don't be scared.”

Saffron glanced up and locked eyes with Jin as she played, giving her a small smile.

“'Cause you're all I need.”

Akio, singing backup, leaned back and put his foot beside Rosemary’s. She reached out and put hers on top of his gently before they shared a secretive smile.

“All my life, I thought it'd be hard to find the one 'til I found you…,” Romelle let Adolpha’s arms encircle her, eyes falling shut. “And I find it bittersweet, 'cause you gave me something to lose.”

“But when you love someone, you open up your heart.”

Mavros dipped Cooper as the two did their first dance, and Cooper giggled.

“When you love someone, you make room.”

Saffron went up on the tips of her toes to see Romy and Jin better.

“If you love someone, and you're not afraid to lose 'em, you'll probably never love someone like I do!”

Ilesha finished the song and grinned at her girlfriends excitedly, giving them both a wink.

-

Romy wasn’t feeling great.

Despite everything Jin had told her, she was still down in the dumps, and she didn’t know how to make herself feel better.

Suddenly, the next song started, this time Akio singing lead.

“I'm gonna love ya… like no one could, make your heart feel the way it should!”

Akio winked at Rosemary as he swayed to the beat.

“I'm gonna hold ya, when no one would, 'cause I swear you deserve some good!”

Romelle and Adolpha weren’t dancing anymore, the two sitting down and quietly talking. As Akio sang, Romelle moved closer to Adolpha and put her head on her chest, eyes falling shut as she smiled fondly.

“Loving life that I've been waiting for ya, please my dear don't turn my face. Oh Dust I hope it's not too late!”

Romy cried again, putting her head on Jin’s shoulder. Jin pulled closer and wiped her eyes.

“Sometimes it's hard to have the upper hand, when every dream you have is turning into sand. You need someone to make your game, but he took your breath and blew it away.”

Romy glanced up just in time to see Adolpha pick Romelle up and put her in her lap.

“I'm gonna love ya like no one could, make your heart feel the way it should. I'm gonna hold ya, when no one would, 'cause I swear you deserve so good.”

Adolpha laughed as Romelle squirmed in her grasp, making herself comfortable with a self-satisfied smirk on her face, as if she had somehow masterminded the whole night.

“I'm gonna love ya, like he never could. 'Cause I know you deserve so good.”

Jin leaned down and grabbed Romy in a bridal style carry and took her out of the dance for a breather.


	51. Someone To You

Romy sighed as she walked back into the dance. She had calmed down slightly, and she was feeling better.

She was trying to focus on being happy for her sister, but that just made things worse, considering how guilty she felt for not being as excited as her sister wanted her to be.

She didn’t look at the dance floor or the last place she had seen the couple and Jin stayed at her side. Romy looked straight ahead, and she suddenly frowned when the doors opened.

Was… was that Colby? Romy wasn’t completely sure, considering she hadn’t seen him in weeks or bothered to think about him further than reasoning why Saffron was staying in their dorm, and he was dressed…  _ different _ than usual. Romy seemed to recall that Saffron and Rosemary typically got his clothes ready for him, so she guessed that made sense, but…

Was he really that lost without Rosemary and Saffron there to help?

His hair was… horrifying for Romy to look at. It looked like his bedhead had bedhead, and Romy wasn’t sure how it could be sticking up in every direction at once. He had on a bright green shirt, underneath his white unbuttoned jacket, and it was completely untucked, and, to make matters worse, the collar was popped. Romy gaped in shock when she saw that his pants were cuffed. Underneath, he had on hot pink long socks, which were on display.

Romy couldn’t believe someone would come out into public like this.

Romy hurried over to him, and she looked him up and down in horror.

“What are you doing?!” she hissed. “What are you  _ wearing _ ?!”

“Is something wrong? Saffron and Rosemary… they’re the more… fashionable ones.”

“I would assume so! Only a blind dog would be worse!” Romy snapped.

He winced, and she rolled her eyes, grabbing his hand and leading him away from the dance floor.

Romy then went to work.

She fixed the shirt, tucking it in quickly, and buttoned up the jacket to the appropriate level before she paused to consider. She then buttoned it up all the way to hide the green shirt. She went on the tips of her toes and proceeded to run her hand through his hair aggressively until she said that it was at least  _ acceptable. _ She then yanked him down and unpopped the collar, rolling her eyes sufferingly. She then crouched down and uncuffed the pants, yanking them down to mostly cover the socks.

She took a step back to admire her work before she frowned.

“Where the  **fuck** is your tie?”

“Uh… I-I don’t know.”

Romy groaned and rolled her eyes.

“I have to do  _ everything _ around here,” she muttered.

She then grabbed his arm and tugged him closer, searching through his pockets while she hoped against hope that there was one  _ somewhere- _

Romy grinned as she found a tie, which she then threw around his neck.

He cried out in shock as she tightened it and then tied it.

“There. That’s at least a  _ little _ better,” Romy said, sighing. “What happened to you, man?”

Colby flinched and looked down.

He didn’t respond, and Romy nodded her understanding.

She guessed she could kind of relate to that…

She turned, about to join Jin again, and she was a little surprised to see that her team leader was glaring at Colby like he had personally murdered her pet.

Romy glanced over her shoulder, considering, but when the music started, her mind was made up.

Saffron was singing lead again, apparently, and Romy idly wondered if, since she was one of the only ones without a date, she was going to get a break tonight.

Colby cried out in shock when Romy grabbed his hand, and she led him over to the dance floor with her.

“I don't wanna die or fade away. I just wanna be someone, I just wanna be someone!” Saffron sang, though her eyes narrowed when she saw who Romy was dancing with.

“Dive and disappear without a trace!”

Auburn was giggling as he and Clover made their way through another awkward dance, the two of them clearly not knowing what they were doing, but they didn’t care.

Romy snapped her fingers to get Colby’s attention, and Romy glared at him.

She fixed where his hand placement was, and for a moment she wondered if he was really related to Coco Adel. Romy decided it didn’t matter if he was switched at birth or not.

“I just wanna be someone… Well, doesn't everyone?”

Romy glanced to the side, her eyes landing on Adolpha and Romelle, who were, once again, dancing. She grimaced and looked away, though her dance partner wasn’t a much better sight.

“And if you feel the great dividing, I wanna be the one you're guiding,” Saffron sang, and she let her gaze wander to Jin, who was finally on her own. She sent her a smirk as she played, “'Cause I believe that you could lead the way.”

Rosemary glanced over at Akio and mouthed, silently so as to not have it picked up on the microphones, “I wouldn’t follow you, but only because you always get lost.”

Akio rolled his eyes.

“I just wanna be somebody to someone, oh. I never had nobody and no road home. I wanna be somebody to someone…”

Clover laughed and spun Auburn under his arm, causing both of them to stumble and almost trip. Despite that, they were both laughing together, and it was clear that Clover had given Auburn the night he had promised.

Colby looked away from the couple, and his hands tightened on Romy’s hip. Romy glanced over, wondering what was wrong, but her gaze landed on someone else.

“And if the sun's upset and the sky goes cold, then if the clouds get heavy and start to fall, I really need somebody to call my own.”

Adolpha made a quiet sound of shock as Romelle leaned closer and pushed her weight forward, causing Adolpha to fall back. Romelle caught her around the waist, and Adolpha stared up at her in absolute disbelief. Romelle had dipped her, and Adolpha was almost on the ground from how low she was. Despite the shock, she started to giggle, staring up at her girlfriend as if she was magical. Romelle grinned and gave her a wink as she put her back on her feet. The two were laughing so hard that they almost missed the next few steps of the dance.

Romy tightened her hands and Colby glanced over. Romy didn’t look at him.

“I wanna be somebody to someone!” Saffron sang. “Someone to you!”

The two looked away from the couples, trying to distract each other.

“Someone to you!” Saffron continued, looking up and smiling at Jin, who tucked a bit of her hair behind her ear while she looked down.

“I don't even need to change the world! I'll make the moon shine just for your view!”

Adolpha had a smirk on her face now, and Romelle eyed her warily, clearly recognizing the look on her girlfriend’s face. Suddenly, Adolpha leaned down a bit, putting both of her hands on Romelle’s waist steadyingly. She lifted her up, and Romy thought that she could hear Romelle’s squeak of shock from here as she was hefted into the air. Adolpha laughed and then set her down slowly, giving her a fond smile.

“Don’t do that again,” Romelle growled.

“No promises,” Adolpha replied, giving her a grin.

“I'll make the starlight circle the room! And if you feel like night is falling! I wanna be the one you're calling, 'cause I believe that you could lead the way!”

Clover laughed as Auburn went onto the tips of his toes, clearly trying to reach toward him, and Clover made a dramatic show of bending his knees into a squat so that Auburn could kiss him.

Auburn playfully smacked his chest.

“Jerk.”

Clover laughed quietly before pulling his boyfriend closer and giving him a quick kiss.

“The kingdom come, the rise, the fall, the setting sun above it all…,” Saffron paused and looked out at the crowd. “I just wanna be somebody to you.”

Colby watched Clover longingly while Romy snuck glances at Adolpha.

Saffron sang the next words in a quiet whisper.

“I wanna be somebody to someone… someone to you.”


	52. All of Me

Romelle glanced around the room as the next song started. She hadn’t been paying much attention to anyone besides Adolpha, which she didn’t think she could be blamed for. Romy was standing by the punch with Jin, the two quietly conversing, and Romelle smiled. Despite what her sister had said about Adolpha, she really did want her to be happy, so she hoped Jin and her were having fun.

Adolpha tugged her toward the dance floor with an excited grin on her face.

Romelle stared at her with a loving look on her face.

She still couldn’t believe that Adolpha was here, that she was dating her  _ finally, _ after all these years.

She was still kind of worried that this was a dream.

But… Romelle was starting to believe that this was real life.

The music started up, and she was staring at Adolpha lovingly.

The song, somehow, fit far too perfectly.

“I'm takin' my time, to show you I'm not gonna hurt ya,” Ilesha sang.

Memories shot through her mind.

_ “Well… despite looking exactly like her in almost every way, I’m not my sister, so I’m not going to hurt you, Adolpha. If you ever need to talk, I’m here for you.” _

Adolpha seemed to be thinking the same thing as she was, and she stared down at Romelle lovingly.

“Honey, I don't know… how he, let you go!”

Romelle thought of her sister, pulling Adolpha closer.

“I really don’t,” she whispered to Adolpha.

“He's crazy!”

Romelle pulled closer and put her head on Adolpha’s chest.

“Diamond girl! He let me steal you like a thief in the night!”

Romelle smirked, tightening her grasp on Adolpha as she thought about her sister, who had somehow let Adolpha go. She didn’t know how she had ever  _ dreamed _ of that.

“So lucky that we met while walkin' under ladders! It hit me in the blink of an eye, that you're my diamond girl!”

Romelle threaded her fingers through Adolpha’s own.

“So let me steal you for the rest of my life! My diamond girl!”

Romelle smirked and swayed with Adolpha, her eyes falling shut as she made sure that she memorized everything she felt in this moment.

“Will somebody lock me up? ‘Cause baby I stole your love!”

As the song ended, Romelle pulled away.

“I did steal you, ya know,” Romelle said smugly.

Adolpha stared at her lovingly.

“You don’t have to steal what’s yours already.”

Romelle stared at her and started to blush.

“I would have stolen you anyways,” Romelle said, crossing her arms.

“I’m sure you would have,” Adolpha said lovingly, moving closer and wrapping her arm around Romelle’s shoulders. “And, for the record, I would have stolen you, too.”

Romelle was about to lean closer, but then Adolpha started to laugh.

“And it would be easy. You weigh, like, eighty pounds.”

Romelle flushed and shoved her lightly.

Adolpha laughed and the two walked toward the tables.

-

Akio grabbed the microphone and turned to face Rosemary, giving her a loving look as he started to sing.

“I'm so in love with you, and I hope you know!”

Rosemary smiled at him, and he thought that she might be blushing just a bit, but it was hard to tell with the lighting.

“Darling, your love is more than worth its weight in gold!”

Auburn reached his arms up and struggled to put his hands on Clover’s shoulders.

“We've come so far, my dear! Look how we've grown!”

Adolpha smiled down at Romelle as she spun her, catching her gently.

“And I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old!”

Ilesha smiled as she sat down in her chair, Crystal and Lavey both curled up under one of her arms. Sure, she liked to dance, but this was an acceptable alternative, she supposed.

“Just say you won't let go!”

Romy couldn’t take all the romance in the air, couldn’t deal with everyone else being so happy… so happy without her.

She hurried toward the exit, and she threw the door open-

Saffron floated to the ground in front of the door, one foot gently cresting the ground with both of her arms crossed against her chest.

Saffron reached one hand up and tilted her sunglasses down some so that Romy could see her eyes.

“And where do you think  _ you’re _ going?” Saffron asked, smirking.

“Dorm,” Romy said, sniffling.

Saffron shook her head and put her hand on Romy’s arm, gently guiding her back inside.

“Hey, how about you just calm down and have some food? Where’s Jin?” Saffron looked away.

Romy snuck off while she was talking, trying to slip out of the exit.

Saffron’s glove shot off of her hand and appeared in front of Romy.

Romy ducked down and tried to get around it, and then tried to dive to the side.

Saffron huffed in irritation, her glove-free hand twitching irritably, unused to not having fabric covering it.

Romy cried out as the glove suddenly shot onto her hand, the latch closing, and then started to tug her back toward Saffron.

Saffron caught Romy right before she could fall.

“You’re supposed to stay at this dance with us, so you’re going to stay, because Jin said you should, and I trust her judgment with this.”

Romy sighed, looking away.

“I don’t want to stay if everyone is just going to be dancing.”

Saffron shrugged.

“Then dance with me.”

Romy glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow.

Saffron scoffed.

“What? You have a bunch of bachelorettes lined up? Come on, it’s a dance, not a damn marriage proposal,” Saffron said, holding out her gloveless hand.

Romy considered before she nodded.

“I wanna live with you, even when we're ghosts.”

Akio smiled at Rosemary, the pair not noticing that Saffron and Romy were heading toward the dance floor. Jin, however, did, and she raised an eyebrow.

Romy tried to take Saffron’s glove off, but she struggled with the latch.

“Yeah, not happening, I’m not gonna let you run off in the middle of our dance. That’d be rude,” Saffron said with a smirk.

“'Cause you were always there for me when I needed you most.”

Saffron held out her hand, and Romy sighed before she took it, letting Saffron lead her onto the dance floor.

“I'm gonna love you 'til my lungs give out!” Akio cried emotionally, clutching the microphone.

Rosemary watched him with a fond smile.

“I promise 'til death we part like in our vows.”

Clover grinned goofily down at Auburn, who started to giggle.

“So I wrote this song for you, now everybody knows!”

Ilesha giggled as Lavey and Crystal started to bicker beneath her.

“That it's just you and me 'til we're grey and old!”

Adolpha leaned down.

“My hair’s already grey, so we just have to get old,” Adolpha whispered.

Romelle burst out laughing, rolling her eyes fondly.

Saffron reached her hand out and grabbed Romy’s face, turning her so they could make eye contact.

“It’s rude not to look at someone when you’re dancing, you know.”

Romy was thankful for the distraction.

“Just say you won't let go!”

Romy started to pull away, and Saffron scoffed.

“Hey now, I don’t think that counts as a full dance,” Saffron said playfully.

Romy glanced at her hand, which still had a glove on, and she sighed.

“O-okay. One dance.”

Saffron grinned and was about to lead her to the middle of the dance floor.

“Wait, I thought you said it was rude not to look at your dance partner.”

Saffron raised an eyebrow before she sighed.

A moment later, her sunglasses hovered off of her face and then zipped over to her pocket.

“Did… do those have Dust in them?”

“Don’t tell Jin,” Saffron said, winking.

Romy didn’t care enough to do so, and she just shrugged.

“Alright, dudes and dudettes!” Akio winced when he said it. “This is the last song of the night, so make sure you get your dates ready!”

Romy sighed, and Saffron smirked down at her.

“Hey, don’t look so sad. You’re now,  _ officially, _ Saffron Adel’s date! Do you know how many girls would  _ kill _ for that?”

Saffron gave her a playful look, and Romy smiled just a bit.

“What would I do without your smart mouth?”

Akio smirked at Rosemary as he sang, and she kicked him in the calf and she smirked at him.

“Drawing me in, and you kicking me out.”

Clover laughed as Auburn stepped on his foot, starting to apologize far too much.

“You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down.”

Ilesha laughed as both of her girlfriends dragged her onto the dance floor, excited that they wanted to dance with her.

“What's going on in that beautiful mind?”

Crystal reached up and pushed a bit of Ilesha’s hair out of her face and smiled up at her.

“I'm on your magical mystery ride.”

Lavey laughed as Ilesha spun her around before turning back to Crystal to dip her.

“And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright.”

Romy was watching Saffron pointedly, not looking at Adolpha and Romelle.

“My head's under water, but I'm breathing fine.”

Auburn laughed as Clover ducked down to miss hitting one of the chandeliers.

“You're crazy and I'm out of my mind.”

Ilesha giggled as Crystal yelped in pain as she was shocked by her girlfriend.

Lavey started to laugh, but she shut up pretty quickly when Ilesha electrocuted her too.

“'Cause all of me loves all of you.”

Rosemary laughed as she watched Akio dramatically singing.

“Love your curves and all your edges.”

Cooper laughed as he dragged Mavros over onto the dance floor.

“All your perfect imperfections.”

Romelle reached her hand up and Adolpha followed its path with her eyes until it moved a bit of her hair out of her face.

“Give your all to me, I'll give my all to you!”

“Why do you keep doing that?” Adolpha asked, giggling.

“Because I always imagined it,” Romelle whispered. “Do you want me to stop?”

Adolpha leaned down closer.

“Never,” she whispered.

“You're my end and my beginning.”

Clover leaned closer to Auburn and Auburn went on the tips of his toes to check on Clover’s head to make sure it didn’t get hurt.

“Even when I lose I'm winning, 'cause I give you all of me, and you give me all of you, oh oh.”

Saffron glanced over Romy’s head and gave Jin a small smile.

“How many times do I have to tell you? Even when you're crying you're beautiful too.”

Romy glanced at Adolpha and Romelle, but Saffron immediately cleared her throat.

“The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood.”

Saffron’s eyes darted away from Romy for just a moment and she gave Jin a playful wink.

“You're my downfall, you're my muse.”

Jin rolled her eyes, but there was a small smile on her face.

“My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues.”

Saffron then looked down at Romy. She… supposed that she  _ did _ have to take care of the gremlin with Jin, even if she wasn’t looking forward to it.

“I can't stop singing, it's ringing, in my head for you.”


	53. Gloves

“Aella, it’s decided, Romy’s staying in the dorm today, stop it,” Jin said, glaring down at her sister. “We don’t want her to  _ die _ if the teachers mess with her again, do we?”

Aella paused.

“Aw, come on, don’t be too mean to her. I mean, I’m dating Adolpha now, so it’s not like she’s going to hurt her again.”

“Was that just so we could hear you say ‘I’m dating Adolpha’ one more time?” Saffron asked, looking up with a raised eyebrow. She glanced at Romy, who was staring down at the ground.

Romelle flushed.

“Doesn’t matter, the point remains the same.”

Aella huffed.

“Fine. Fine! But you hurt any of my siblings again? And you’re dead to me.”

Romy nodded, though she didn’t look like she cared too much. She was just staring up at the ceiling.

Saffron glanced over and tried to see if she had headphones in, considering her hair was down, but she soon remembered that she had stolen her earbuds.

Aella nodded as if everything had been resolved, and she walked out of the room.

Jin glanced over her shoulder.

“Saff, you’ve already missed a bunch of school this year, one more day won’t be too bad, right?”

Saffron shrugged.

“I guess not. I mean, they can’t really get mad at the Vytal Tournament winner, right?” she asked with a smirk.

Jin rolled her eyes sufferingly.

“You bring that up as much as Romelle brings up Adolpha,” Aella called from outside.

Romy slumped further where she sat.

“Yeah, yeah, just get outta here, I’ve got stuff to do,” Saffron said, waving her hand dismissively.

Romelle waved goodbye to her sister, but she wasn’t looking up from her scroll, a small smirk on her face as she messaged Adolpha. Jin noticed that there was now a second heart next to Adolpha’s name in her scroll, and she rolled her eyes.

She would ask Romelle to cut down the PDA, but she just looked so  _ excited _ when she talked about Adolpha, so she hated to do that…

She decided the best course of action was to keep the twins away from each other as much as possible.

She thought that was a pretty alright plan…

Jin shepherded Romelle out of the dorm room and left the two together.

Saffron glanced over at Romy, and she frowned when she saw that she was still just sitting there on her bed.

“You, uh… you alright there?” Saffron asked.

Romy moved a bit, and Saffron hoped that she was starting to sit up, but instead…

She slumped over and fell onto the bed.

Saffron stared at her in shock, but Romy just laid there like a slug, not moving.

“Uh… you, uh… want to do something? Maybe go outside? I heard that you like flowers-”

Romy groaned at the word and flopped over, burying her face in the pillow and not looking up.

Saffron glanced around the room, as if she was hoping to find something that would help her, but she found nothing.

“Uh… safety corner?”

Romy didn’t make a sound.

“Ice cream?”

Silence.

“Movie?”

There was a noise!-

But it was just the creaking of the bed as Romy rolled over to face the wall away from Saffron.

“Romy?”

She groaned in response.

_ Okay, this is just… this is just bumming us both out. _

“I’m, uh… I’m gonna go to the gym for a little while, cause that’s what I do when I skip class, and… I’ll be back in a bit.”

Saffron walked over to Romy and patted her shoulder just in case before she pulled away.

Saffron gave her a smile, but Romy didn’t roll over to see her, so she just sighed and walked out of the dorm room.

-

Jin sighed and glanced at the clock. She knew that class had just started a few minutes ago, but she was already counting down the time until it was over, worried about what Romy might be doing.   
-

“Is your bedroom ceiling bored like mine?”

Romy was staring up at the ceiling motionlessly, listening to her music. She had her spare headphones in after Saffron had stolen her first pair. She was listening to her sad music playlist, which she had made immediately after Adolpha and Romelle had shared their first kiss, and she wasn’t exactly enjoying how well this song fit with her current situation.

“Of you staring at it all the time.”

She was staring up at the ceiling, and she had been doing the same for the past few nights, unable to sleep.

“'Cause it's seen so many nights, where I cry and I yell at the sky.”

Romy could remember a few sleepless nights filled with tears and the occasional screaming into her pillow.

“For not telling you how I feel.”

Romy felt tears in her eyes and she fumbled for her scroll. She wanted to have sad, cathartic songs, but this one was hitting  _ far _ too close to home at the moment.

“Is your bedroom ceiling bored like mine?”

Romy skipped it, but it was too late, considering she was, once again, crying into her hands.

-

Saffron was panting from exertion, and she ran her forearm across her forehead to wipe off some of the sweat.

She had only been working out for a little while, but she’d been pushing herself to do new things with her Semblance, and that always took a lot out of her.

She glanced around, considering going back to the dorm, but she hesitated when she saw the doors open.

Looks like the sparring class was here…

Coco stepped inside, looking around the room quickly in an almost distasteful manner. Saffron couldn’t blame her, the painting was  _ atrocious _ and she didn’t like looking at it either.

Coco hesitated when she looked at her daughter.

“Skipping class again, Ms. Adel?” she asked, smirking just a bit, thought it was clear she was trying to stop herself.

“You know me, I take after my mom, a bit of a trouble maker,” Saffron called, stretching and looking over the group of students. She grinned when she saw they were second years.

“You really shouldn’t insult Velvet that way, dear,” Coco said, shaking her head in feigned disappointment.

Saffron laughed and rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses.

“Alright, I’ll take the strongest team you got,” Saffron said.

Coco glanced around while Ren and Yang stepped in behind the last of the class.

“I think team CRML,” (pronounced caramel,) “would suit you, they’re the best in this class I suppose, but you know the rules.”

Saffron’s eyes darted down to her gloves.

“C’mon, just this one time? One  _ tiny _ exception? They can keep their weapons!”

Coco tilted her sunglasses down just enough for Saffron to see her eyes.

“No. Exceptions. You’ve already been skipping class  _ far _ too much lately.”

Saffron huffed and rolled her eyes.

“Fine. Fine!”

She angrily unlatched her boots and stepped out of them, kicking them over to Coco.

“What’s going on?” Yang asked, frowning in confusion.

“Just a lesson,” Coco said, waving her hand dismissively. “You’re more than welcome to learn something yourself, Yang. Just watch.”

Saffron took off her belt, and Coco glanced at her.

“That’s Dust too?”

Saffron nodded.

She unhooked her gloves and added them to the ever-growing pile of Dust-infused objects at Coco’s feet.

Finally, she tossed her sunglasses down onto the ground as well.

“Your… your sunglasses have Dust?” Coco asked, hesitating.

“They’re mainly made out of Dust,” Saffron shrugged, “I got new ones when I made my weapons.”

Saffron froze for a moment.

“ **All** of my Dust?”

Coco raised an eyebrow.

“You know the rules.”

Saffron shrugged and then reached her hands down, putting both on the bottom of her shirt and starting to pull it off.

“Coco, what is your daughter stripping for?!” Yang called.

All eyes turned to Saffron, as well as a few cameras.

A piece of Dust shot out of the right glove and shattered several devices before it slid back into its home.

Coco’s eyes widened in horror and she threw herself in front of her daughter.

“What are you doing?!” she hissed.

“Getting rid of the Dust,” Saffron said, shrugging.

“Are you wearing  _ anything _ that doesn’t have Dust in it?!” Coco whispered.

Saffron considered.

“No?”

Coco gaped at her.

“Fine… fine! You can fight with the Dust in your clothing, but you can’t use it.”

“Is this favoritism cause you don’t want your daughter fighting naked?”

Coco glared at her, and Saffron could see it through her sunglasses, causing her to laugh.

“Fine, fine, I’ll stop.”

Saffron hurried into place, and team CRML looked around in confusion.

“We’re… we’re fighting her? Alone?”

Saffron smirked.

“That’s correct,” Coco said, a hand on her hip.

Saffron popped her knuckles.

This was going to be  _ fun. _

-

“'Cause you only need the light when it's burning low.”

Romy quietly sang along quietly.

“Only miss the sun when it starts to snow.”

Romy glanced outside the window. It was true, she only ever thought about the sun when she needed it… 

“Only know you love her when you let her go.”

Romy squeezed her eyes shut.

“Only know you've been high when you're feeling low.”

That’s for sure. She’d been on top of the world just a few weeks ago. Romelle at her side for all of her exploits, no self esteem issues… Adolpha liked her… 

“Only hate the road when you're missing home.”

Romy wondered if she could be homesick for a time rather than a place.

“Only know you love her when you let her go.”

Romy wished it wasn’t so.

“And you let her go.”

-

Jin was trying not to think about Romy too much today, not wanting to worry too much, but it was hard when Romelle was not only identical to her, but was constantly with Adolpha, whether it was playing with her hair or waiting for teachers to turn around so she could discreetly kiss her.

Adolpha always made that last one known to pretty much anyone who bothered to look at her, considering she would stare at Romelle with the most lovesick expression Jin had ever seen.

She pulled out her scroll as she walked to her second class.

Jin: How is she?

She didn’t get a reply for the rest of the period, which made her worry about Saffron too.

What could she possibly have gotten herself into this early in the morning?!

-

Saffron took off at a sprint as soon as the fight started, light on her feet. It was freeing not to have the heavy combat boots, but it was almost disorienting to not have the Gravity Dust helping her move faster.

Despite that, she closed the distance between herself and her opponents.

She ducked under the first punch, throwing her own and taking them right in the gut.

They cried out in shock and stumbled back.

Saffron didn’t pay them any mind, spinning on her heel while she was low to the ground.

Her instinct said to shoot out with Fire Dust, but she instead kicked out, hitting them in the shin.

They had thrown a punch, which missed, and they were already off balance. Her kick added to it, and they stumbled forward.

Saffron leapt backward, allowing the second teammate’s fist to connect with the third’s face.

She fell into a roll, coming up in front of her fourth opponent.

They were more wary, not throwing an attack and trying to buy time for one of their teammates to come up from behind and surprise Saffron.

She laughed and raced toward them at full speed, her feet light on the ground, though not as much so as she was used to, and she reared her body back for a punch.

They readied themselves, and at the last moment, Saffron slid across the ground, her head missing their attack by inches, and she hit the ground beneath them.

They looked down, in shock, and Saffron smirked.

She raised one hand and waggled her fingers.

“Hi there.”

Her other arm shot up and hit them in the gut, causing them to double over in pain, and she then flipped to her feet, spinning in one fluid motion and bringing her leg against their back, sending them falling to the floor.

She was getting ready to continue, but a loud voice called out through the room.

“Enough! This is just cruel to watch! Saffron, I told you to stick to the punching bags, not the students,” Coco admonished.

Saffron glanced over at her, still crouched and ready to continue to the fight, and saw that her mother was fighting a grin.

Saffron smirked, standing up straight, and glanced over at her opponents.

“Sorry, Mom! Got a little carried away.”

Saffron held one hand up, and her glove shot across the room, latching into place. She did the same with her other hand, and she let out a breath of relief.

She looked down at her hands with a small smile, her muscles relaxing as soon as she saw that the gloves were back in their rightful place. She was always more at ease when they were on, and she had been nervous about going the whole fight without them.

Saffron pushed off the ground a bit with her Gravity Dust and went into an arc, letting her boots click into place on her feet and her belt slide into the loops.

Finally, she let the sunglasses slip back over her eyes, and she waved goodbye with a small, smug smirk on her face.

-

“But if the world was ending, you'd come over, right?”

Romy was singing now, not caring that her voice was hoarse from tears, not caring that someone might hear.

“You'd come over and you'd stay the night! Would you love me for the hell of it?”

She hadn’t messed up…  _ that _ badly, right? If the world  _ was _ ending, Adolpha wouldn’t… she wouldn’t still be mad at her, right? And Romelle? And… everyone?

“All our fears would be irrelevant if the world was ending.”

At least that gave her some comfort. If the world  _ was _ ending, that would be worse. This wasn’t  _ the worst _ thing that could be happening.

“You'd come over, right? The sky'd be falling while I'd hold you tight.”

Romy curled in on herself as she laid on the bed, feeling tears stream down her face. It didn’t stop her from singing.

“No, there wouldn't be a reason why we would even have to say goodbye.”

That sounded nice too. There would be no long, extended goodbye as they drifted further and further apart. The feelings would just be done.

“If the world was ending, you'd come over, right? Right?”

-

Saffron pushed open the door to the dorm room.

“Sorry I’m late but I was unavoidably detain-”

She cut herself off as she heard Romy singing, quite offkey, to  _ If The World Was Ending. _

Why would she be singing to that-

Saffron saw that Romy was crying, quite profusely, and she was holding her pillow tightly. It was soaked in tears.

Saffron panicked, looking around.

Jin.

She needed to find Jin! Jin was good at this whole… emotion thing. Saffron… Saffron  _ wasn’t _ good at that, so she needed Jin.

But Jin wasn’t here and she couldn’t be here so that meant that it was just Saffron and Romy so that meant that she was going to have to take care of her but she didn’t know how to take care of her and she was going to mess it up like she messed up everything and then Romy was going to be even worse than before and-

Saffron took a sudden deep breath, clenching her hands into fists to calm herself.

Saffron hurried over to Romy’s bed, pulling out her headphones and stuffing them  _ and _ her scroll into her pocket.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright,” Saffron whispered, slipping onto the bed beside Romy.

Romy moved closer and clung to Saffron almost immediately, her arms tightening.

Saffron hesitantly reached her own arms up to grab her.

Romy moved closer at the action, so Saffron let herself hold Romy tightly.

“It’s going to be alright, just… just take a deep breath, okay? How about we get you to the safety corner? I know you liked it there. Come on.”

Saffron pushed herself off the bed and, for a moment, she was worried about Romy falling from her precarious hold, but Romy clung to her easily, so Saffron hurried over to the corner of the room, throwing back the curtain and taking a seat.

“Okay, okay, we’re here, do you feel better?” Saffron asked desperately.

The corner was her gloves, right?

Romy went to the corner and then  **_boom!_ ** the sad thoughts went away and she was able to stop the walls from closing in around her, right? Like gloves!

Romy was still crying, and Saffron tried to shift so that her hands were free.

Maybe she should try  _ her _ gloves! That made sense, right? They helped her, so they would help Romy too, right?

They’d make her feel strong and in control, make her feel like she could take on the world!

But when Saffron tried to shift to get her hands free, Romy held her tighter, and Saffron made herself cradle Romy again.

So what were her gloves? That’s all Saffron had to figure out, right?

What made Romy feel like she was safe? Protected and secure, like there was a wall between her and the world that couldn’t be broken?

She had to figure that out… 

In the meantime, Saffron needed to distract her.

“So you like music, right? I do too,” Saffron said, starting to run her hand up and down Romy’s back gently. “I’m sure you can tell, considering I’m in the Adax Band,” Saffron laughed awkwardly, “and I get that music might help you, but it’s not gloves if they make you cry.”

Romy sniffled a bit, glancing up at her.

Romy was still clinging to her shirt with both hands, curled up in a little ball in her lap, but she was at least uncurling from her ball  _ a little, _ right?

“Gloves?” Romy asked.

“Yeah, yeah, like my gloves. They’re… they’re  _ warm _ and they’re  _ safe _ and they make you feel like… well, like something’s protecting you.”

“That’s why you wear your gloves?” Romy asked softly.

Saffron flinched a bit. She didn’t like talking about it.

“Yeah… that’s why I don’t take them off, at least. So all we need to do is find your gloves, something to calm you down…,” Saffron was now muttering to herself, looking around the room as if for inspiration.

She glanced at Romy, and she was surprised to see that she was no longer crying, and she was even struggling to keep her eyes open.

Saffron knew she hadn’t been sleeping enough…

When that had happened to her, she hadn’t been able to sleep until she wore her gloves.

Which meant Romy had to have hers, and that meant-

“I’m her gloves,” Saffron breathed. “I’m her gloves…”

She found herself smiling just slightly, and she pushed herself to her feet and went over to the closest bed, Jin’s, and laid down, letting Romy stay curled up on top of her, almost like a cat.

She gently ran her hand over Romy, and she laid there the rest of the afternoon, letting the other girl sleep.

-

Jin stepped inside, ready to start yelling.

“Saffron, why haven’t you been returning my t-”

She stopped as soon as she saw what was going on.

Saffron held up one finger to her mouth and shushed her, gesturing down at Romy.

“She’s asleep. Don’t wake her up,” she whispered.

Jin hesitated.

She had  _ so many _ questions.

For instance, when did Saffron stop being frustrated at Romy bothering them? Why were Saffron’s gloves resting on the table beside her?! Why was Romy asleep on her?!

But Jin didn’t have the time, because she needed to distract their teammates before they saw Romy.

She promised herself she would talk to bizarro upside down version of Saffron later, but for now, she had a training session to make up and pretend that she was upset at her teammates for missing.

-

“Do you really need to sleep in her bed with her?” Jin hissed.

Saffron stared at Jin as if she’d grown a second head.

“I’m her  **_gloves_ ** , Jin, I don’t think you understand that.”

“I do, but-”

“But nothing! I’m her gloves, so she needs me!” Saffron whispered, stalking over to where Romy was sitting on her bed and plopping down.

Romy made a sound of shock, glancing over at Saffron.

“What are you-”

Saffron unceremoniously grabbed Romy with both arms and fell over onto the bed.

“What-”

“Shhhh… sleepy time,” Saffron said, closing her eyes.

“Bu-”

“I said sleep, dammit.”

Romy looked over to Jin for help, or even just an explanation, but she didn’t get any, considering Jin just shrugged.

Romy complained until she fell asleep, and she wouldn’t admit that, in the morning, she  _ might _ understand why Saffron loved those gloves of hers so much.


	54. Discussions

**Dream Couples**

Romelle: What is this?

Adolpha: Aw, I was about to ask the exact same thing, babe!

Raelynn: And THAT’S why you’re here.

Braelyn: Congratulations, you made it to the big leagues.

Clover: I told you they’d be a perfect couple when they finally got together!

Auburn: Good job, babe!

Clover: Aww, thanks!

Akio: Leave.

Rosemary: Now. While you can.

Raelynn: I’m going to teach you exactly what we told them. You can’t

Braelyn: Leave.

Clover: Why would you want to leave anyways?! We decided you were a dream couple!

Auburn: Yeah, you should be happy!

Akio: It’s just them flirting with people watching.

Rosemary: This should be a kink chat.

Romelle: That’s disgusting.

Raelynn: Hey! Don’t be all high and mighty! I heard about you making out in front of Weiss!

Braelyn: Truly disgusting. That might have been why you were invited, though.

Adolpha: That… was a very understandable mistake! I didn’t know she was there.

Romelle: I was too distracting, obviously.

Akio: Damnit there’s more of them.

Rosemary: Truly horrifying.

Clover: Don’t listen to them, they’re just as bad as we are.

Rosemary: We don’t flirt in the chat!

Raelynn: Your form of flirting is insulting people together. You flirt all the time!

Braelyn: It’s sickening, honestly. I mean, there’s people reading this!

Akio: That’s real ironic coming from you.

Romelle: Wait, you really think we’re a dream couple?

Adolpha: Of course we are! Any couple with you in it would be a dream!

Rosemary: Dust, they’re even worse than Clover and Auburn. I didn’t think it was possible.

Romelle: Shut it, Rose. Let me flirt in peace.

Adolpha: She’s really good at it!

Raelynn: Really? Cause reading this,

Braelyn: You seem WAY better.

Akio: Dust, I hate it when they do that.

Clover: What?

Akio: Finish each other’s sentences and insults. It’s gross.

Auburn: I think it’s cute!

Clover: Aww! I was about to say that!!!

Romelle: Wait, wait, wait. Are Ilesha, Crystal, and Lavey not in here?

Raelynn: Nope.

Adolpha: Because they’re not a couple.

Akio: No, because they’re way too chaotic. A dream couple is made out of two or more sane individuals that help each other through life, not one that runs around getting her ass electrocuted from sockets with two of her girlfriends running around in the damn vents.

Adolpha: That’s a fair point.

Romelle: I wasn’t complaining. I’m just glad that there’s standards to this chat.

Rosemary: That’s what I said!

Adolpha: Babe, be nice! And I’ve got to ask, why is this chat a thing?

Braelyn: Well, it started out with us wanting to congratulate Auburn and Clover at the beginning of the school year, and then Akio and Rosemary came out of the proverbial closet

Raelynn: So we just added them. And now you’re here!

Romelle: Wait, you knew they were together? How?!

Braelyn: My gay senses were tingling. I knew something was off.

Raelynn: Bitch, you were so smug when Auburn called you and started to rant about Clover.

Braelyn: And I had EVERY RIGHT TO BE SMUG considering I was RIGHT! You owed me five date nights for ME to pick what we were doing after that.

Raelynn: It was horrible. This gremlin thinks that a romantic date night is eating cheeto puffs on the couch while we watch horrible action movies.

Braelyn: You said you loved it!

Raelynn: I love YOU, sweetheart, not your terrible romance.

Braelyn: I happen to be VERY charming, thank you very much.

Raelynn: Whatever you say, babe.

-

**Heaven On Remnant**

Ɛ> Crystal: Did you hear?

Ilesha: About?

Ɛ> Crystal: The Dream Couple chat! Romelle just messaged me that we weren’t invited! What the heck?!

Ilesha: Awww you said heck instead of something dirty!!!

Ɛ> Crystal: Yeah, because you’re freaking blackmailing me.

Lavey Ɛ>: Why weren’t we invited to the chat?

Ɛ> Crystal: They said we weren’t a dream couple!

Lavey Ɛ>: Cause we’re not a couple?

Ɛ> Crystal: No, because we’re “crazy.” If I get my hands on them, I swear I’m going to tear them limb from limb.

Lavey Ɛ>: Ya know, by saying that, you’re kinda proving them right.

Ɛ> Crystal: Shut your darn mouth.

Lavey Ɛ>: Yeah, darn just doesn’t have the same intimidation factor.

Ɛ> Crystal: I freaking know! Stop rubbing it around. The important thing is that we’re not in this chat, and that’s the most insulting thing I’ve heard all month!

Lavey Ɛ>: Dang that’s saying something, considering you say some pretty insulting things.

Ilesha: You know what I think? I think we’re just too awesome for them. Don’t sweat it, babe, I think we’re a dream couple.

Lavey Ɛ>: In case you can’t already tell, she’s blushing.

Ɛ> Crystal: Nark.

Ilesha: Awww, I bet her tail’s all frizzy! Adorable!

Ɛ> Crystal: SHUT UP!

-

**ARRS**

Saffron: Hey I need some homework help, Jin isn’t helping.

Romelle: Jin isn’t helping you? She ALWAYS helps you when you finally decide to do homework.

Aella: Yeah, she gets all excited.

Saffron: She heard that I almost stripped in front of a bunch of second year students and now she’s pissed. It’s not my fault, my mom told me to.

Romelle: Wait you WHAT?!

Saffron: It’s not important, I just need some homework help because Jin’s being unreasonable.

Aella: You stripped?! What?! How is Jin unreasonable to be upset about that?!

Saffron: There’s context here, but it’s not important, just trust me.

Romelle: Even if I WANTED to help you, I can’t, I’m with Adolpha, so stop interrupting.

Aella: I thought we talked about this!

Romelle: I’m dating your sister, she’s hot, I’m happy, get over it.

Aella: GROSS, MAN! I’m trying to eat over here!

Saffron: Aella, can you help?

Aella: Lol you thought I knew there was homework?

Saffron: Of course you didn’t. I guess, since you’ve all forsaken me, I’ll have to figure it out on my own.

Romy: I’ll help you.

Saffron: REALLY?!

Romy: Yeah, I need a distraction anyways.

Romelle: You okay? What’s wrong?

Romy: Nothing, just bored.

Saffron: I’m on my way!

Romy: I haven’t told you where I am.

Saffron: You doubt me.

-

**Dolphie ❤️🤍 and Love of Mine 😍**

Dolphie ❤️🤍: So I was thinking of asking this really awesome girl out, but I’m starting to get cold feet.

Love of Mine 😍: Who? I’ll cut a bitch.

Dolphie ❤️🤍: What?! No, it’s you! I was trying to be cute, but you ruined it.

Love of Mine 😍: Aw, I’m sorry babe.

Dolphie ❤️🤍: Don’t apologize, you’re perfect. But let me start over.

Love of Mine 😍: Go ahead, go ahead, don’t let me stop you.

Dolphie ❤️🤍: As I was saying, I was thinking about asking this really nice girl out.

Love of Mine 😍: Oh? Do go on.

Dolphie ❤️🤍: We went to the dance together, and I think she’s really sweet, so I want to ask her out again, but I’m worried she’ll say no.

Love of Mine 😍: I say you should go for it.

Dolphie ❤️🤍: You think?

Love of Mine 😍: Definitely. You should go for it.

Dolphie ❤️🤍: Hey, Romelle?

Love of Mine 😍: Yeah?

Dolphie ❤️🤍: Wanna go out?

Love of Mine 😍: Actually, I’m going to have to decline.

Dolphie ❤️🤍: What?

Love of Mine 😍: I was hoping this really cute girl would ask me out.

Dolphie ❤️🤍: Who?

Love of Mine 😍: You, dumbass.

Dolphie ❤️🤍: Oh! Right.

Love of Mine 😍: Pick me up later?

Dolphie ❤️🤍: I thought I already swept you off your feet.

Love of Mine 😍: Cute, but if you don’t, I’ll be forced to kill your sister.

Dolphie ❤️🤍: Sounds fair. Which one?

Love of Mine 😍: Yes.


	55. A Date

**Team LAAC**

Cy: Heard you had a date tonight, Dolpha.

Dolpha: Yeah! It’s going to be great.

Lav: Crystal, no!

Cy: Any chance you’d consider making that a doubles date? Ilesha, Lavey, and I would LOVE to come with.

Dolpha: Oh. I mean, sure. We could do a double date.

Lav: DAMNIT, CY! LOOK WHAT YOU DID!

Cy: You don’t have to come, you know. It could just be Ilesha and I all night alone.

Dolpha: I thought you were coming on the date? Then it wouldn’t be you two alone.

Lav: Crystal, why are you like this?

Cy: Because I CAN BE, now are you coming on the date or not?

Lav: Fine!

Aub: Oooh! If we’re doing a double date, would you guys mind if Clover and I tag along?

Dolpha: Sure.

Cy: No.

Aub: Great!

-

Romelle smiled as she heard a knock on the door.

She all but skipped over to the door, not even noticing that Romy was laying face down on her bed with her head on the pillow. She tried to find headphones on her bedside table for a moment before she realized that they weren’t there, and she groaned.

Great. She was going to have to listen to  _ this. _

Romelle opened the door, and she grinned when she saw Adolpha standing there.

“Hey, y-”

She cut herself off when she saw that there were  _ several _ other people standing behind her girlfriend.

“What are they doing here?” she asked.

“Surprise!” Auburn called excitedly.

Adolpha winced at her brother’s loud call, and Romelle subconsciously put her hand on Adolpha’s arm.

“They… wanted to go on a group date!” Adolpha gave her a slightly strained smile, her eyes going wide when she saw the expression on her girlfriend’s face. “I-is that alright?”

“Yes, honey,” Romelle forced a smile, “it’s fine. Let’s go.”

Adolpha slipped her hand into Romelle’s, and she smiled at her for a moment before the others appeared.

“Great! This is going to be  **amazing** !” Ilesha cried. She had both of her arms held out, Crystal and Lavey both holding onto one and leaning against her.

Auburn was curled up against Clover, a small, goofy smile on his face. Clover was laughing quietly, and Auburn swatted his arm.

“Can’t you at least  _ try _ to take smaller steps, you giant?!” he hissed.

“I  _ am _ , Aubby!” Clover cried. “It’s not my fault that you’re all midgets!”

Auburn narrowed his eyes and looked up at his boyfriend.

“That’s it. That’s the last straw!”

Clover looked at him, his expression suddenly growing worried. It didn’t help that Auburn let go of him and pulled away.

“Wh-”

Auburn darted behind his boyfriend and then leapt into the air, scrambling up his back before he finally perched himself on his shoulders. He grinned down at his boyfriend.

“Okay! There we go! That’s better!” Auburn said. “Now onward!” he pointed dramatically down the hall, and Clover let out a loud laugh, following after their group while he held Auburn’s ankles gently to make sure that he didn’t fall.

Romelle, meanwhile, was trying not to show how frustrated she was by tonight’s turn of events.

After all, this was supposed to be her first  _ real _ date with Adolpha that wasn’t a school event, but **apparently** , her first date with Adolpha wasn’t going to be how she had imagined it for all those years. Her mind had made up countless romantic scenarios, but they had all shared  _ one _ detail.

It was just Adolpha and her. Not Adolpha, her, two of Adolpha’s sisters, their girlfriend, Adolpha’s brother, and his boyfriend.

But… she supposed it was better than nothing. After a moment, she fixed that. She  _ knew _ that it was better than the alternative, and she was glad that she had Adolpha at all…

But she  _ did _ wish that this could be a regular date…

Despite that, she was still going to make the best of it, and she pulled closer to Adolpha lovingly, putting her head on her arm as the two headed toward the exit.

-

Romy curled up into a ball on the bed.

Saffron glanced up from where she sat, and she hurried over to the bed.

Jin did the same, vaulting over Romelle’s bed with ease and landing next to Romy.

“What’s going o-”

“Don’t you have anything else you could be doing?” Saffron asked, cutting Aella off.

Aella hesitated, frowning as she looked at Romy.

“I-I guess, but is sh-”

“Just go to the vents, Aella,” Jin said, waving her hand dismissively.

Aella sat up straighter, a small grin forming on her face. She hadn’t had Jin tell her she could use the vents in… well, since school started!

She hurriedly leapt into the air and scrambled into the ventilation.

Saffron wrapped her arms around Romy quickly and laid down on the bed, letting Romy put her head on her shoulder.

Saffron scooted closer to Jin and put her head on her shoulder, letting Romy curl up between them.

“Can I have my headphones back?” Romy asked quietly.

“No, you just listen to sad songs,” Jin said, rolling her eyes.

Romy looked down with a sad expression.

Saffron rolled her eyes.

“Alright, alright, you can listen to music, but  _ only _ my playlist, because yours is depressing,” Saffron said, grabbing her scroll and hitting shuffle on her playlist. “Just skip any you don’t like.”

Jin was about to speak, but she froze as soon as she saw Saffron’s glove shoot off of her hand and grab a pencil, after a few moments of fumbling, and started to hover above a paper.

Romy was playing the music out loud, and she skipped the first few until she found one that she liked.

A smile grew across her face as the fast-paced song came on.

“You're the only one standing in your way.”

Romy leaned closer to Saffron and let her eyes fall shut.

“Just take a breath, relax, and tell me why? Please tell me why do we worry?”

Saffron listened to the song and a small smile grew across her face.

“I like this one,” Romy said idly.

Saffron wrote it down with her glove, settling back and letting Romy listen to the music.

Any time she listened to the whole song or said something about it, Saffron wrote it down.

-

Dinner had been nice, if a bit awkward considering Romelle was still glaring at anyone and everyone when Adolpha wasn’t looking her way (which wasn’t often, but enough so that the message was clear).

Clover was seated next to Auburn, and the two seemed to be lost in their own world. They were talking to the others, obviously, but they would share glances that would cause both to burst into laughter as if someone had just said the best joke. When asked why they had done so, they would either launch into a story that  _ nobody _ laughed at or say “you had to be there.”

Ilesha had her arms wrapped around both of her girlfriends. When the food had gotten there, she had tried to move her arm that was wrapped around Crystal, but she had glared at Lavey, moving closer to Ilesha, and Ilesha had been forced to sit there and stare at her food helplessly. Finally, when Crystal had finished eating, Ilesha leaned over and whispered in her ear something. Crystal had flushed and tried to pull away from Ilesha.

“No, you can’t leave  _ now, _ that wouldn’t be fair, not after I waited for you!” Ilesha had said, pulling Crystal closer.

Crystal had sighed.

“This is embarrassing,” she growled.

“Plleeeeassee?” Ilesha asked, batting her eyes at her.

Crystal flushed and rolled her eyes.

“Fine, you idiot.”

Romelle had watched, in horror, as Crystal helped Ilesha finally eat her meal.

Romelle glared darkly and leaned closer to Adolpha, wrapping both of her arms around her waist.

Adolpha glanced at her and quickly swallowed the big bite she had just taken.

“You alright?” she whispered.

Romelle nodded and pulled closer, putting her head on her chest and almost pushing Adolpha further away.

Adolpha smiled down at her and placed a kiss to the top of her head.

Romelle smirked and glanced at the other couples.

_ Ha! _ she thought.  _ You’re not the only ones that can be grossly overly affectionate! _

She moved so close to her girlfriend that she was almost in her lap.

-

**JARRRRRRS**

Romelle: This double date is so AWKWARD. On the up side, I think Adolpha and I are winning the PDA battle. As long as nobody makes out, we have it in the bag.

Aella: There’s a PDA battle? Never thought that I’d be so happy to be single.

Romelle: Yeah, but I’m pretty much in Adolpha’s lap, and she’s staring at me in that adorable way she does, so I don’t think there’s any way Clover and Auburn can take this from us. Ilesha, on the other hand… she’s a tricky one.

Jin: Mind keeping the talk about my sister out of the chat? It’s kinda gross.

Romelle: I’m Romy’s sister, and she doesn’t seem too grossed out by it, right, Romy?

Saffron: She doesn’t have her scroll at the moment, and is otherwise indisposed.

-

Romy glanced over at the other two, wondering why they were messaging.

Saffron made sure that Romy’s scroll was still in her pocket.

-

**Aella and Romelle**

Aella: Hey, what’s up with your sister.

Romelle: What? I mean, she doesn’t have her scroll, but other than that, she’s pretty alright. Not being annoying lately, that’s for sure.

Aella: Really? Cause she seemed pretty upset after you guys left.

Romelle: She did?

Aella: Yeah. Like, REALLY upset.

Romelle: I’ll check on her. Can you see if she’s alright? She doesn’t have her scroll.

Aella: Yeah sure.

-

Aella snuck through the vents and looked through a small vent cover. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw that Romy was curled up between Jin and Saffron still, listening to music that Aella couldn’t quite hear.

-

Aella: Nope! Something’s still wrong, idk what, but something’s wrong.

-

Romelle looked up from her scroll.

“Babe, we have to call it early,” Romelle said with a small, sad expression.

“What? Why?” Adolpha asked worriedly, looking down at her girlfriend.

“Something’s wrong with Romy.”

“What? Oh my Dust, alright, let’s go,” Adolpha said, pushing herself out of her seat. “We can check on her.”

Romelle spared a moment to look at her girlfriend lovingly before she started to walk out of the diner.

“Hey, we’ve gotta go, something’s wrong with Romy, we’ll pay you back for the check!” Adolpha called over her shoulder.

Lavey suddenly sat up.

“What? Romy? Guys, wait, I’m sure she’s okay! Just wait for the check with us and then we can all go and check on her!” Lavey called.

“Lav, if you needed my help, I’d rush over immediately, and I’m sure Romelle feels the same with Romy,” Romelle nodded quickly, her foot tapping impatiently, “so we have to go!”

The two hurried out of the diner then, starting to run.

“Shit,” Lavey muttered.

Ilesha considered adding a tally, but when she saw the worried look on Lavey’s face, she found herself too distracted.

-

**RPS**

Lavey: SOS

Jin: What?

Lavey: Romelle knows that something is wrong with Romy. She and Adolpha are coming back!

Saffron: WHAT?!

Jin: Why didn’t you stop them?!

Lavey: I was trying, but Adolpha had to go and be all NOBLE! Just make sure that she’s presentable!

-

Romelle was racing down the street at full speed, Adolpha at her side. Despite each of her steps being pretty much two of Romelle’s, she was keeping up with ease.

She heard the ticking in her head, and it was getting louder by the second, which meant something  **big** was coming up.

She dashed down the halls of Beacon with reckless abandon, not caring that she might hit someone.

She had been worried that something bad might happen at the date, considering how loud the ticking was, but now she was  _ certain _ it had to do with Romy.

-

Romy was mostly fixed up now, sitting on her bed by herself with Jin and Saffron across the room from her, not so much as glancing in her direction. She looked fine, other than her hair hanging down, which was not the norm, but she hadn’t had time to fix it, and the face that her eyes looked slightly red, but they were just going to have to hope that nobody noticed.

The door slammed open, and Romelle looked around the room worriedly.

Everything… everything seemed fine.

“Hey, Romelle. You’re back early,” Jin said.

Romy was noticeably quiet, and Romelle stared at her intently.

She seemed fine, except… something was off. And, now that Romelle thought about it, she had noticed a few signs that something was different with her sister, but she hadn’t been thinking about them very much, considering she was distracted by Adolpha.

Romelle heard the ticking continue, so she supposed she may have overreacted. After all, her sister was fine.

She took a deep, calming breath.

“Right… right! I guess…,” Romelle let out a quiet laugh, “the ticking got to me again, you know.”

She turned to her girlfriend, who was standing behind her, looking unsure whether or not she should pull her swords out of their sheaths, giving her a fond smile.

“Thanks for coming with me, it was very sweet of you to help,” Romelle said, leaning closer.

The ticking got louder. Romelle hesitated.

Adolpha didn’t seem to notice, considering her eyes had fluttered shut, and she closed the distance between them.

Romelle would have let her eyes fall shut, but the loud ticking in her head made it impossible for her to sink into the kiss.

Adolpha pulled her a few inches off of the ground, and Romelle was able to see right over her shoulder.

Romy was watching the two of them, and Romelle followed her gaze.

It was locked on Adolpha.

Her eyes widened in shock, and the ticking stopped.


	56. The Conversation

Romelle put her hand on Adolpha’s chest and gently pushed back. Adolpha immediately pulled back.

She gave Romelle a confused look, but Romelle wasn’t looking at her girlfriend.

“Are you-”

Romelle let herself fall the few inches to the ground, tearing her eyes from the terrified Romy.

Romelle stared up at Adolpha, and she put her hand on her wrist to reassure her that everything was alright.

“Adolpha, I… I need to talk to my sister. I’ll… I’m going to need you to go back to your dorm, okay?”

Adolpha went to glance over her shoulder, but Romelle squeezed her hand around her wrist, causing her to stop.

“Please?”

Adolpha nodded.

“Yeah, yeah, of course. If you need me, I’ll be right over there.”

Romelle gave her the barest of smiles before she stepped out of her girlfriend’s way. As soon as she had left the room, she turned to look at her teammates.

“Jin, Saffron, I need to talk to my sister alone.”

Jin stood, but Saffron stayed where she was, gaze shifting between Romelle and Romy consideringly.

Jin put her hand on Saffron’s own, shaking her head.

Saffron seemed to hesitate, but finally she sighed, pushing herself to her feet and following after Jin.

The door swung closed after them, and there was an awkward moment as the two stared at each other.

Romy tried to look away, but Romelle wouldn’t let her gaze fall.

“W-what’s wrong?” Romy asked.

Romelle took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She clenched one fist, her eyes squeezing shut.

“How long?”

“W-what?”

Romelle’s eyes flashed open, and she glared at her sister.

“How long have you had feelings for my girlfriend?”

Her voice was low, nowhere near a shout, but it was painfully soft, as if the calm before a storm.

Romy flinched.

“I-I-”

“Don’t lie to me.”

There was a long moment of silence as Romy tried to speak, but no words came out.

Romelle wanted to walk over there and… well, let’s just say she wasn’t considering the most painful way to break her Aura.

“S-since a few days before the dance.”

Romelle closed her eyes again, her hands clenched so tightly that she would have drawn blood with her nails if not for her Aura.

Her eyes flashed open.

“A few days before the dance?” her voice had risen. “You’ve had feelings for  _ my girlfriend _ for  **that long** and you didn’t tell me?!”

Romy curled in on herself. Romelle paused. She’d never seen her sister do that before. When had that started?

The next words were on the tip of her tongue.

_ You had your chance, and you blew it! You can’t come crawling back now that she’s moved on! That’s not fair to her, and it’s not fair to  _ **_me_ ** _! You can’t even be happy for me after all of these years?! I h- _

Romelle took a deep breath again. She hadn’t moved from where she stood, and she was glowering at Romy. She forced herself to soften her gaze.

“You’ve had feelings for Adolpha for the past week or so?” Romelle asked, trying to keep herself calm.

Romy nodded shakily.

Romelle took a shuddering breath.

“I see.”

Romy looked up slowly.

“You’re not… going to do anything about them, I presume?”

Romy nodded again.

“Because you know I’m in love with her, right?”

“Y-yes! O-of course I’m not going to-”

“And you know that Adolpha came out as monogamous a few years ago, right?”

“I-I’m not going to-”

“So you know that there’s nothing that can be done about this, right?”

“That’s why I didn’t want to tell you-”

“Do you know that?” Romelle demanded.

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Romelle wanted to say more. Oh, but  _ did she _ want to say more, but she stopped herself. This conversation needed to be ended fast so that nothing happened. So that she didn’t say something that she might regret and ruin her relationship with her sister forever.

“I’m… I’m going to need some time to think.”

Romelle walked over to her bed slowly, purposefully not looking at her sister, and grabbed her blanket before she walked out of the room.

Romy was left staring at the door as if in a state of shock, so many apologies on the tip of her tongue that she never got to say.

-

Romelle closed the door behind her, letting out a long breath.

“What happened?” Jin asked, standing in front of her.

“I made sure she understood the situation.”

“That’s it? You didn’t let her explain herself? Romelle, do you know what that could do to Romy? It-”

Romelle struggled to control her anger, but she lost the battle.

“What it could do to  _ Romy _ ?! What it could do to her?! What about  **me** ?! What about what this situation could do to me?! That girl in there, crying on her bed, is my  _ sister, _ Jin! And  **I’m** the reason she’s crying! Do you think that makes me happy?! Do you think I take some kind of pleasure in watching my sister be in pain?! In case you think that low of me, I  _ don’t _ ! But you know what else I don’t like? I don’t like my sister having feelings for the woman I’m in love with! It was,” Romelle took a shuddering breath, her eyes clouding for a moment, “it was all finally,  _ finally _ perfect. It was just like I had always imagined it, you know that? The way I had always dreamed but never said aloud, for fear that it would scare off Romy having feelings for Adolpha. Because I wanted  **_them both_ ** to be happy, even… even if it meant that I was left behind. And now? Now it’s how I always secretly wished it would. I was  _ finally happy, _ Jin! I had Adolpha, Romy was okay with it, and I… but now?” Romelle looked down at the ground. “Now it’s all messed up.  _ I’m _ supposed to be the one that’s crying on that bed while Romy shows off how happy she is with Adolpha. But you know what? I’m not willing to give it up. I’ve sacrificed my happiness for my sister for years, and I can’t do it anymore. And the one time I’m finally happy?”

Romelle laughed ruefully, shaking her head.

“She can’t even be happy for me.”

Romelle pushed past Jin as she felt tears well in her eyes.

Saffron was standing in front of her, and Romelle glanced up at her.

“How long are you going to be gone?” Saffron asked, her arms crossed.

Romelle couldn’t see her eyes, but she knew there would be understanding in them.

“I… I don’t know.”

Romelle walked past Saffron, and she felt her pat her shoulder consolingly.

Romelle knocked on team LAAC’s dorm room door.

A moment later, Adolpha opened, looking worried.

“Romelle? Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” Adolpha asked gently, leaning down to wipe at her girlfriend’s eyes gently.

Romelle took a wracking breath.

“Can… can we not do the whole questions thing? Can we just skip to the part where you hold me and tell me that everything’s going to be fine?”

Adolpha nodded immediately, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around Romelle gently, picking her up and carrying her to her bed.

“It’s fine,” she whispered, running a hand down her back. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

Romelle wished she could believe those words.

-

She was too late.

Romy was staring up at the ceiling.

She always was, wasn’t she?

Too late to show Adolpha how she felt, too late to apologize to her sister…

Too late to show her that she was happy for her sister.

Romy wanted nothing more than to be mad at someone,  _ anyone _ else.

But deep down? She knew it wasn’t Adolpha’s fault, wasn’t Romelle’s fault.

It was hers.


	57. I Can Fix It!

Aella was sitting down, her knees brought up to her chest slightly, her elbows set on her knees as she stared up at the ceiling.

Welp.

She’d messed up.

Who knew that  _ trying _ to be a good teammate could make you a worse one?

She had ruined everything.

She’d thought that Romy needed Romelle, because who was better at helping you when you were sad than your family, right? And that had just…

Just messed  _ everything _ up.

She didn’t know why, but it seemed like Qrow’s curse had passed onto Aella. She  _ did _ have wind as her semblance, right? Not bad luck? She thought so.

“Aella? You okay?”

She turned her head to the side, though it was more of a lull of her neck, as if she couldn’t be bothered to do anything else, and saw that Lavey was looking at her worriedly.

Aella tried to force a smile. It came off as a grimace.

“Yup! Just great, Lav! You come to see the exhibit?”

“Exhibit? What?” Lavey asked.

“That’s right! Welcome one and all, guys, gals, and nonbinary pals, to the show!” Aella raised her hands up a little bit, lazily, and gave little jazz hands. “Come see the world’s biggest screw up! Watch in horror and awe as she messes up everything good she touches! If you become friends with her, you might just get the chance to see her ruin your relationships, both familial  _ and _ romantic! Look at her go! Watch her leap to conclusions across great chasms!”

Aella let out a rueful laugh before her head lulled back and gently thudded against the wall.

“What?” Crystal asked, frowning in confusion. “Speak normal, damnit!”

Ilesha didn’t even do anything at the curse word, which showed how worried she was.

“Crystal!” Lavey hissed, making her way over to Aella and sitting next to her. “How about you guys go check on everyone else? I’ve got her.”

The others walked past, and Lavey leaned over, putting her head on top of Aella’s shoulder.

“Would you pay for a ticket?” Aella asked, glancing over at her.

“Do you remember when we were thirteen, and I broke the ventilation system? Oh, our moms were mad for  _ weeks _ while we struggled to fix it?”

Aella nodded.

“And do you remember what you did?”

“I said it was me,” Aella glanced at her sister. “I said that I broke the vents.”

“Why?”

“Because you…,” Aella chuckled a bit, “because I’d never seen you so  _ scared, _ Lav. Dust, your eyes were panicked, your hands were sweating, and you were  _ shaking. _ I just… I didn’t want to see you get in trouble, when I could see how scared you were. So I said it was me.”

“So, in other words, you fixed something for me after I screwed it up, right?”

Aella rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, one time.”

Lavey stared at her sister as if she was personally offended.

“One time?  _ One time, _ Aella? You’ve got to be kidding me! That’s what you do! It’s your whole thing!”

Aella frowned.

“What?”

“Fixing. It’s always been what you do. You fixed the vent doors after I broke them. You fixed team JARR after Jin lost it. You’re becoming a Huntress to  _ fix things, _ Aella. Face it, that’s who you are. And, yeah, maybe sometimes things get broken along the way, and  _ sure, _ maybe you’re there when it happens and it might be indirectly your fault, but that’s only because you’re  **_there_ ** , right in the middle of everything. Trying to fix it.”

Aella hesitated.

“And that’s what happened tonight. You got in the middle of everything, even though it was none of your business, and you accidentally messed something up. But only because you were there,  _ trying to fix it. _ So don’t you  _ dare _ tell me that you’re a screw up. So how about we go do what you do best, and try to fix it?”

Lavey pushed herself to her feet, holding out a hand.

Aella considered for a moment before she smiled.

“That might be the nicest thing that you’ve ever said to me, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get used to it. You’re the fixer, remember?”

Aella laughed and took her sister’s hand, tugging her to her feet.

Auburn peeked around the corner.

“Aella’s going to fix things? That’s good, because we have  _ no idea _ what’s going on.”

“You guys go on to IMCA’s dorm room, I’m sure they’d be happy to have you!” Aella said, the bounce back in her step as she walked through the hall. “Lav and I can take care of this, no need to bother anyone else, right? Right! Let’s go!”

Aella tugged her sister toward the first door.

She threw open the JARR dorm room and started to waltz in in the typical Aella fashion.

Saffron’s glove shot off her hand and slammed the door shut.

Aella took a step back.

“Welp, onto the next one!”

“Wh-but what about Romy?”

Aella waved her hand.

“She’s got her covered, ‘sides, I’ve got another idea!”

Aella pushed open the next dorm room, finding Adolpha and Romelle curled up on the bed.

“You did a good job as the comforting girlfriend, Dolph, but your reign has come to an end. You must step down from your rightful place as ruler of kingdom Romelle and give her to your younger siblings.”

“You can’t have my girlfriend.”

“Don’t want her like that,” Aella winked at her sister, “but you’re gonna have to leave.”

“I’m not going to just leave her!” Adolpha hissed.

Aella rolled her eyes and she bounced over to Romelle.

“Hey, Romelle,” she said, leaning over Adolpha so that Romelle could see her face just slightly.

“What?” Romelle growled, tears all over her face.

“Wanna talk about it?”

Romelle hesitated.

“Lemme rephrase. You wanna  _ complain and yell about it _ to people that aren’t important to this situation?”

Romelle nodded quickly, pulling out of Adolpha’s grasp.

Adolpha looked at her like she’d been betrayed.

“What?! You can talk to me. You know I’m here for you.”

“She  _ can’t _ talk to you, now move your ass. Come on, up and at ‘em, wolf man!” Aella said, shoving her sister to her feet and guiding her to the door. “Not because she doesn’t love you, because face it, that girl is head over heels, but because this is a delicate situation! Now move your caboose!”

Aella shoved Adolpha out of the dorm room right before she could respond, slamming the door behind her.

She spun on her heel and wiped her hands against each other, as if to rid them of dirt.

“Now, where were we?” Aella glanced at Lavey, smirking. “Oh, right! I believe we’re at the part where we all cuddle up together and our gay best friend tells you to ‘dish, girl!’”

Romelle raised an eyebrow.

“This was a bad decision,” she said, starting to stand.

Aella leapt forward and gently pushed her back onto the bed.

“Okay, okay, I get where you’re coming from, but before we end it, just answer me one question.”

“And then I can leave?” Romelle asked tiredly.

“Promise!”

“Okay, fine.”

“What did you  _ really _ want to say to Romelle? I mean  _ dig deep, _ Romelle, what was on your mind when she admitted it?”

Romelle hesitated.

“I mean… I guess I wanted to tell her that I’m mad she likes Adolpha.”

“Yeah!” Aella chimed in. “How  _ dare _ she! You liked Adolpha for  **years** , and Romy  _ insulted her _ to your  _ face _ a while ago, didn’t she?! I mean, she has  _ no right _ to come waltzing in all ‘I like Adolpha now,’ does she?!”

Romelle was staring at Aella with wide eyes now, but she quickly scrambled to agree.

“Yes! Yes, exactly! S-she had her chance, but she missed it! She can’t just… just come in here and ruin it for me!”

“Exactly! A sister should be  _ happy _ that you’re dating the woman you’re in love with!” Aella agreed quickly.

“Yeah! I came in, excited to tell her about Adolpha  _ finally _ asking me out, and she’s just sitting there with this fake ass smile on her mouth, like she wasn’t just fantasizing about being me!” Romelle cried, throwing her arms up in the air.

“And she’s your  _ sister, _ bleh,” Aella made a disgusted look, “and now you have to be  _ nice to her _ when, if anyone else pulled this shit, you’d be ready to beat them eight ways to Sunday!”

“Yes! Yes, that’s it! I can’t be angry with her, because she’s my sister, but… come on! She can’t ruin this for me! I-I finally have it all, and… she…,” Romelle sniffed, “she can’t have her. Not… not again.”

Aella leaned forward and put her hand on Romelle’s chin gently, pulling her closer.

“Hey, hey,” her voice was suddenly soft, for the first time in this entire conversation, “don’t worry about that. Romy  _ can’t _ take Adolpha from you, and do you know why?” Romelle went to answer, but Aella smiled at her. “Of  **course** you do, but you want to  _ hear it. _ Romelle, Adolpha is  _ in love  _ with you, and it’s so  _ painfully _ obvious. Even if she wanted to, and you  _ know _ she doesn’t, Romy couldn’t take Adolpha from you.”

Romelle sniffed, and Aella smiled at her gently.

“And you  _ know _ that Romy isn’t going to steal her, isn’t going to try to, but you know what else? It’s  _ okay _ to be mad, because you have  **every right** to that emotion, and anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot.”

Romelle was crying again, and Aella pulled her in for a hug.

“Shhh, shh, it’s alright…,” Aella turned to the stunned Lavey, “you can go get Adolpha now. She’s ready for her.”

Lavey hurried into the hall, running a fair ways to find Adolpha pacing down the hallway.

“What happened?” Adoloha asked.

“Doesn’t matter. Romelle needs you.”

Adolpha took off at a sprint, skidding into the dorm room.

Aella threw herself off the bed just before Adolpha could shove her away from her girlfriend.

She held Romelle gently, and Romelle clutched at her shirt, pulling her closer.

Aella grinned to herself, a proud look in her eyes.

“My work here is done! Now, off to see if Saffron knows about me and the vents…”

Aella threw herself into the vents, scrambling through and almost opening the door-

A piece of Dust shot toward her, shoving her out of the vents and into the hall.

She hit the ground with a  **_thud_ ** , but she hopped to her feet with a grin.

“Yup! She does! Think she’d think of the window? Hmm… seems like she always knows before I get there…,” Aella glanced at Lavey, who was watching her with a stunned expression, “think it’s Dust? I might have some on me… I could try flying through the window naked, but that would just be awkward… shame, Romy coulda used some extra help.”

“Couldn’t… couldn’t you just change clothes?” Lavey asked.

“You think Saffron didn’t plant Dust on all my things? Besides, all my clothes are _ in that room, _ Lav. Come on, use your head!”

With that, Aella took off with a bounce to her step.

“Think IMCA would let me stay in their dorm? I’d ask to stay in yours, but there’s six of you now, and a little gremlin needs  _ some _ room, right? Eh, screw it, I could always curl up in the closet if I have to. Beats the music, amiright?”

Lavey didn’t have a response, and Aella didn’t seem to need one.

“I think the cloak would be a good enough blanket… also, do you think that Saffron could be overwhelmed with too much Dust? Like thrown at her face? Hmm, maybe not. I think the cloak’s pretty warm… I bet the way she keeps track of who’s who is based on the type of Dust on them, maybe I could disorient her that way… Lavey, you don’t mind if I use your room, right?”

Lavey tried to respond.

“Great! That’s two plans down! I am on  _ fire _ today!”

Lavey scrambled to keep up with her, both as Aella all but ran down the hall and switched topics every minute.


	58. Stuck

Romelle was having a bad day. That was clear from the  _ everything  _ that had happened. 

First, her date had been crashed by two other couples, then her sister had revealed that she had feelings for her girlfriend, and now Romelle was struggling to come to terms with everything that had happened. Clearly things weren’t going how she had expected the day to go.

She sighed and hung her head, running a hand over her face.

Adolpha glanced over at her girlfriend with a worried expression on her face. Romelle hadn’t told her what was going on, and she was worried about what might be happening.

What could be frustrating her so much? And why was she mad at Romy?

“Babe, it’s not…,” Adolpha sighed and tried to collect her words while Romelle stared at her, “it’s not because of me, right? That’s not why you’re upset with Romy, right? Cause, like I said, I’m totally over her, and I’m not mad that she said some mean things to me. Dust, I’ve said some rude things myself, there’s no need to hold it against her.”

Romelle gave Adolpha a small, tired smile.

“It’s not because you did anything, Dolphie, don’t worry.”

Adolpha sighed.

“But of course I’m going to worry! You’re my girlfriend,” Romelle smiled for real this time, “and you’re upset, so I’m worried! That’s kind of part of this whole deal, you know.”

Romelle reached out and put her hand on Adolpha’s arm.

“I know, and I know I can’t stop you from worrying about me, but there’s nothing you can do.”

Adolpha sighed, thinking.

Suddenly, she grinned.

“But there  _ is _ something I can do! I was going to do this at the end of our first date, but we never really got to the end of it, so I guess now is as good a time as any, right?”

Adolpha rummaged through her pocket for a moment before she turned to Romelle.

“Close your eyes.”

Romelle raised an eyebrow, but she did as told.

Adolpha held something above their heads with one arm and leaned down.

“What are you doing?” Romelle asked.

“What I should have done the first time this happened, now hold still,” Adolpha said with a playful tone to her voice.

She leaned down and gave Romelle a gentle, chaste kiss.

Romelle’s eyes fluttered open.

“That’s the surprise? Thought I could have that any time I wanted now,” Romelle said with a small smirk.

“No, look up,” Adolpha said softly.

Romelle glanced above her head, and she gasped, one hand reaching up to cover her mouth.

Above the two of them, Adolpha was holding a piece of mistletoe.

“I wanted to have this surprise after our first date because, well, it’s like… me fixing the mistake I made at Christmas.”

“What mistake?” Romelle asked. She thought she knew, but she just wanted to hear it. After the day she’d had, she just wanted to know  _ for sure _ that  **something** was going good.

“When I saw you under that mistletoe, I should have kissed you, for real.”

Romelle blinked tears away.

“I love you.”

“Even though I’m a bit of an idiot?” Adolpha asked playfully.

“Especially because you’re a bit of an idiot,” Romelle said with a grin, leaning closer and putting her head on Adolpha’s chest.

Adolpha pulled her closer, running a hand down Romelle’s back.

Even if she didn’t know what was going on, she was going to do everything within her power to make Romelle feel better.

She glanced at the time and carefully pulled away from Romelle.

“Hey, it’s getting kind of late. How about we call it a night? I know you had a rough day,” Adolpha said gently.

Romelle nodded wordlessly, her eyes already closed.

Adolpha set her down on her bed and gently crawled in next to her, holding her in her arms.

She slowly ran a hand down her arm until she was sure that Romelle was asleep.

Only then did Adolpha allow herself to close her eyes.

Something was going on with Romelle, and she wanted nothing more than to meddle and figure out who had hurt her and how (she was pretty sure that it was Romy, but Adolpha didn’t have any proof), but she knew that Romelle didn’t want her to interfere.

Dust, but that was annoying. How could she help if she couldn’t even know what was going on?

Adolpha had always been a bit of a control freak, to put it lightly, but she’d been getting better…

But this was making it harder.

At least she still had Romelle with her. Maybe, just maybe, the perfect thing to do would be to just… be there. It was worth a shot, she supposed, considering it was the only option she had.


	59. Dinner

Jin glanced down at Romy, who was still curled up between her and Saffron. She was practically laying on top of Saffron at this point, and it looked like  _ someone _ was trying to figure out a way to wiggle out from under her.

Jin reached out and slowly wrapped her arms around Romy, shifting the other girl into her arms and allowing Saffron to stand up.

“I’ll be back in a few,” Saffron said gently.

Romy didn’t respond, but Jin could tell that she was upset.

“What are you doing?” Jin hissed.

“I’m going to go get us some food.”

Romy seemed to calm a bit, laying her head on Jin’s shoulder calmly.

Saffron slunk out of the room, not wanting to distract Romy from Jin.

She closed the door behind her, and she turned to see Lavey in the hallway in front of her.

“Son of a bitch!” she cried in shock, putting a hand to her chest. She clenched her fist, just barely stopping herself from sending out an attack with her gloves.

“Actually, it’s daughter of a cat Faunus, but we don’t have time to get into semantics. How’s Romy?” Lavey asked.

“Not great, Lav. I mean, she hasn’t spoken since yesterday, considering how upset she is. Just nods or shakes her head. If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought she got Neo’s muteness,” Saffron tried to laugh, but she just gave a weak smile. “It’s worse than the time Auburn confused her for Romelle, and I just  _ heard _ about that debacle.”

“What?” Lavey asked, frowning.

_ / _

_ Romy was sitting in class, trying to pay attention, but her gaze kept slipping to across the classroom to where Romelle and Adolpha were sitting. _

_ Adolpha had just asked Romelle out to the dance the day before, and Romy was struggling to act like a supportive sister, even though she wanted to. _

_ Adolpha had her arm wrapped around Romelle, and the two were being sickeningly adorable together, as always. Adolpha let out a sound of shock as Romelle reached one hand out and played with her ear. After a moment, Adolpha started to laugh and playfully swat at her girlfriend’s hand. Despite that, Romelle giggled and kept messing with her ear. _

_ Romy looked down at her paper, once again trying to focus on the assignment. She made a bit of progress distracting herself, that is, until someone else sat down across from her. _

_ Auburn took a seat across from Romy, giving her a wry grin. _

_ “Hey, did you hear about Romy and Adolpha?” her head shot up. “How could you  _ **_not_ ** _ , I mean they’re being  _ **_so cute_ ** _! Look at them over there! Being all cuddly… I’m glad Adolpha finally got the girl, she deserves it. I mean, she liked her for  _ **_years_ ** _! You should have heard her talk about Romy! Like she put the sun in the sky! And the way she looks at her right now… that’s true love right there. I am a bit surprised about Romy, though. I honestly never thought the woman had a nice bone in her body, but she’s being all sweet with Adolpha! Aw, just like Neo. Isn’t that poetic?” _

_ Romy stared at him for a moment before she took a deep breath. _

_ She pointed one finger at herself. _

_ “Romy.” _

_ She pointed at her sister, who was now curled up at Adolpha’s side with the most content look she had ever seen on her face. _

_ “Romelle.” _

_ Auburn stared for a moment, his eyes holding a light of confusion that Romy was familiar with seeing from him, before the realization dawned on him. _

_ “Oh… oh! Ooooh! Okay, so she’s with Romelle! Good for her! Look at them, so sweet together. And, uh… s-sorry for getting you two mixed up, you know I-” _

_ “Just leave,” Romy said, trying to give her normal, irritated eye roll. Instead, she was struggling to not show how much pain she was in. _

_ “Yup, yup, that sounds smart. I’ll just, uh,” he scrambled backward and knocked the chair over, “sorry…” _

_ Romy took a deep breath and tried to focus on her work, even as he struggled to put the chair in the right position. _

_ Romy wanted to snap at him to leave, but he finally fixed it, apologized, and then scrambled off. _

_ She let her head fall against the desk. _

_ / _

Lavey grimaced.

“So what are you doing out?”

“Getting food. She needs to eat. She’s already tiny enough, can’t have her missing meals.”

Lavey nodded.

“And Romelle?” Saffron asked.

Lavey waved her hand dismissively.

“Already asleep, curled up with Adolpha. You know them.”

Saffron rolled her eyes.

“Of course. Just… take care of her. She needs you too.”

Lavey snorted.

“I just live there. Talk to Aella and Adolpha, they’re the support staff, apparently.”

Saffron smiled just slightly before she walked down the hall, but not before she patted Lavey on the shoulder roughly.

-

The dorm room door pushed open, and Saffron stuck her head in, a small smile growing across her lips when she saw that Romy was sitting on the bed, instead of still curled up in Jin’s arms.

“I got dinner,” Saffron said gently.

Romy glanced over, eyes going wide when she saw the food that Saffron was carrying.

“The cafeteria had  _ that _ ?!” she asked, her sadness, for once, forgotten in place of shock.

“What took you so long?” Jin asked.

“No, I made it,” Saffron replied, rolling her eyes behind her sunglasses.

“ **You** made that?” Jin asked, sounding skeptical.

“Believe it or not, but I have talents  _ other _ than fighting, Jin,” Saffron said, setting the largest plate next to Romy. She intended to make the small girl eat  _ all _ of it, considering she had hardly eaten in the last twenty-four hours, and she wasn’t going to let the gremlin starve.

“What is it?” Romy asked curiously.

Saffron gasped.

“Uncultured slobs,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Jin gave Saffron a raised eyebrow, gesturing for her to continue.

“It’s beef stroganoff. It’s like… fancy noodles. Just eat.”

Romy stared at Saffron for a moment before a small smile grew across her lips and she started to eat.

Jin gave Saffron a grin when she saw Romy, and she settled back, yawning.

She hadn’t been able to sleep a lot last night, Saffron hadn’t either, but she was used to that nowadays, and Saffron watched Jin worriedly.

“You want to take a nap?” she asked quietly.

Jin shook her head, though her eyes had fluttered shut.

Saffron reached out and put her hand on Jin’s shoulder, guiding her until she laid her head on her lap.

Jin was sleeping a few minutes later, and Romy had finished her entire plate.

Saffron stretched out on the bed and grabbed Romy around the waist before she tugged her into her grasp.

A few minutes later, the other two were asleep, and Saffron allowed herself to relax, letting out a sigh. She ran a hand through her hair. She froze for a moment when she caught sight of her glove, and she stared at it for a long moment.

Sometimes, enough time passed in between her taking them off that she forgot what the back of her hands looked like.

She hesitantly reached one hand up, fumbling with trembling fingers to remove the latch from her right hand. She gently pulled the glove off, staring down at her own hand.

It seemed small, delicate almost. She wondered sometimes if, should she not have on her gloves when she did her greatest feats of strength in battle, she would break them.

When her gloves were on, it felt like she… well, not like she was an entirely different person, just more that she was free to be the person she was always meant to be.

But when she took them off… she was back in the yard with Colby across from her, tossing taunts and jeers at Saffron as she struggled to stay on her feet during the fight.

She was back in the yard without her weapons, without a way to use her semblance effectively.

Her right hand shook as she held it in front of her, and she quickly used her left hand, which was perfectly fine, to put her glove back on.

She let out a breath of relief as the latch slid back into place, and she laid down further, her eyes falling shut.

Tomorrow night. She would try again tomorrow night.

Tomorrow night, when Jin was awake to coach her through it.

She let out a breath, her heart rate falling back to normal as she ran her right thumb against her pointer finger comfortingly.

She was asleep a few minutes later.


	60. It's Fine

The door to the dorm room swung open, and Romy was immediately awake. She shot up in bed, looking at the door.

There were two figures standing there, and they could not have looked  _ any _ different.

Aella had a  _ beaming _ grin on her face as she all but skipped into the room, skidding to a stop by her things.

“Dust, you don’t realize how inconvenient it is to stay in another dorm room for a night until you actually have to do it! How  _ do _ you live this way, Saff?” she asked.

Saffron shrugged, clearly not sure how to respond to this situation, and she watched the pair with a slightly wary expression on her face.

Romelle had on a blank expression as she walked through the room, getting her things together as if nothing had happened.

Aella didn’t seem to need a response from Saffron, considering she was rattling on about the night she had had away. She talked about everything. Everything, that is, except for Adolpha and Romelle. And the fight.

Or… well, could it even be referred to as a fight at this point? There hadn’t been any yelling, and there hadn’t been any arguing either. Romelle had just… told Romy a few things while she was very angry, but she hadn’t yelled at her. It felt… it somehow felt  _ worse _ than a fight would have been, since Romy had no idea where the two of them stood at this point.

“Romelle, I-”

“Hey, Romy,” Romelle said, waving her hand as she walked into the other room to change. She let the door fall shut behind her, and Romy watched with a slight look of shock.

What?

How… how was she supposed to respond to that. She looked around the room for help, but Saffron and Jin looked just as lost as she did.

“Hey, don’t look at me!  **Someone** ,” Aella stared pointedly at Saffron, “wouldn’t let me into the dorm last night, so I have no idea what went on in here.”

Romy waited for a moment, stunned into inaction, before the door swung back open to reveal her sister.

“Are you going to get ready? Don’t want to be late to class,” Romelle hesitated, glancing at Romy for the first time since she had entered the dorm. Romy sat up straighter, the apology on the tip of her tongue as she scrambled for something, anything, she could say to help the situation. “That is, if you’re going to class today.”

Romy felt the words die on her lips, and she took a moment to figure out what her sister had said.

“Uh, y-yeah, I’m going,” she said, scrambling to her feet and hurrying to get ready as her sister had suggested.

“Okay,” Romelle shrugged, as if it didn’t matter either way to her, and she turned to Aella, the two talking quietly.

As Romelle spoke, she glanced over her shoulder at her sister for a moment, raising an eyebrow. After a moment, she raised one hand and tapped a finger against her forehead.

Romy stumbled as she walked across the room, almost falling over.

That… she wanted to… after everything, she wanted Romy to…

“O-okay,” Romy stuttered out loud, which she, upon reflection, found was a stupid decision.

Romelle rolled her eyes in the way she used to when her sister was being an idiot, and for a moment, Romy wondered if she had somehow been teleported into an alternate dimension.

Romy hurried to connect her sister with telepathy, and after a second, a familiar presence emerged in the back of her head.

_ Took you long enough, _ Romelle thought.

_ Uh, yeah, _ Romy forced a laugh in their heads.  _ Anyways, I wanted to ap- _

Romelle’s eyes shot to her, narrowing.

_ No. _

_ What?! _ Romy thought, eyes going wide.

_ We’re not talking about it. Or thinking about it. I don’t know what you’d call it, but we’re not doing either. _

_ So… so we’re just going to ignore that I- _

_ Finish that sentence and I’m gone. _

Romy silenced her thoughts immediately, holding her hands up in surrender.

Romelle raised an eyebrow.

_ Thought you were supposed to be good at sneaking around. You just broadcast this to  _ **_everyone_ ** _. Good job, idiot. _

Romy hesitated.

It… it  **sounded** like the old Romelle, didn’t it? That’s how they used to talk to each other, right? She thought so, but now she was reconsidering everything.

Was that supposed to be a stab at her for sneaking around her sister’s back? She thought it wasn’t supposed to be, but she wasn’t certain.

_ Haha, yeah, I guess I did. _

There was an awkward silence, and Romy went to get her things together for class.

She felt herself on edge, and she wanted nothing more than to apologize to her sister, to  **talk** to her about it, but she was too scared that Romelle would walk out of the room before she got to finish.

Class was… going to be difficult.

_ Are you going to connect the others or not? _ Romelle asked.

Romy tried to figure out if her sister wanted her to or not, but even in her thoughts she sounded emotionless.

_ I-I can. _

Romelle raised an eyebrow and glanced at her.

_ That doesn’t sound like you. Something wrong? Never mind, I don’t care. _

That was  **definitely** something that Romelle would usually say, but now it made her cringe.

_ I-I’ll connect them. _

She hesitated for a moment before she connected the rest of their team members, plus Saffron.

If she was going to make it through these classes, she was going to need some backup.

-

Romy wondered how her sister could just sit there like nothing was wrong.

Like she hadn’t just had a… well, a very strongly worded conversation with her sister the night before that threatened their entire relationship as a whole.

Romy herself was still freaking out, and she was struggling to keep her messages in their heads from reflecting as much.

Romelle was sitting beside her, and every once in a while, Adolpha would glance back at her worriedly.

Romy had noticed that Romelle had decided to sit with her team again, which was odd, considering how excited she was to be with her new girlfriend.

Romy was trying, and failing, to find any topics they could talk about.

Luckily, Aella was carrying the brunt of that. She had been going on a tangent about random things since she had been added to the nonverbal conversation, and the others were chiming in every once in a while.

Romy was thankful that she was trying to keep it from getting too awkward, considering she herself was already stressing too much to think straight.

Tentatively, she reached out to make another connection between just herself, Saffron, and Jin.

She had been practicing using multiple links during her telepathy recently, and she thought that she had been getting better at it as of late.

_ What… what am I supposed to do here? _ she thought desperately. She had no idea what was happening.

_ I don’t know, don’t ask me! When I’m upset, I just yell at someone, _ Saffron replied, shrugging where she sat. She was beside Jin, who was between her and Romy.

Jin reached out and put her hand on Romy’s knee.

_ She’s scared that something’s going to go wrong between you two. You just need to give her some time to calm down before you can approach the topic. _

Saffron gave Jin a surprised look, as if she hadn’t expected anyone, let alone someone she knew, to know that much about emotions.

_ How long could that take?  _ Romy thought, trying to keep herself from groaning in frustration.

_ I don’t know. Anywhere from hours to weeks, I guess, _ Jin thought.

Romy’s head thudded against the desk.

Jin reached out and patted her on the back of her head comfortingly.

_ Hey, you alright? You’re missing it, _ Romelle thought. She tapped her sister on the shoulder.

When Romy didn’t respond or move, Romelle started to shake her.

Romy finally forced herself to sit up and look at the front of the classroom.

_ Fine. I’m fine, just… just tired, I guess. _

Romelle nodded, though she didn’t seem to really worry too much about it.

-

The rest of their classes continued to pass by, Romy kept waiting for her sister to talk to her about what had happened, or think to her about it, but she never did.

Finally, the classes had come to a close, and Romy was going to get the chance to get back to the dorm.

Before she had the chance to even go toward the dorm room, however, she was stopped.

_ I’m going to the gym for a bit of practice. Not used to going to class, gotta stay in shape, _ Saffron said with a small smirk and a wink toward the group before she started off.

_ You know, the gym is a good idea. We haven’t practiced as a team in a little while, _ Romelle thought contemplatively.

Romy’s eyes widened in fear and she glanced at her sister, but she didn’t say anything. She couldn’t.

_ I guess we could, _ Aella agreed, shrugging.

Jin glanced at Romy, though the look in her eyes seemed to say that there was no way for her to say no, considering she was the team leader and this was kind of her job.

As they started to walk toward the gym, Romy let out a sigh. She was scrambling to find a reason for her to not go, but there was none, so she let herself resign to her fate. She was going to probably die in the next half hour, and-

Romelle pulled her scroll out of her pocket and smiled to herself as she looked at a message.

_ Team LAAC’s in the training rooms too. Maybe we can do a spar? _ Romelle thought.

Romy’s eyes widened in fear.

Jin pulled out her scroll.

_ You know, I actually had our next spar scheduled for team IMCA. _

Romy looked at Jin as if she was her personal savior.

_ Aw, too bad, _ Romelle thought, shrugging to herself as she sent a message and slid her scroll back into her pocket.

Romy took a deep breath, trying to stop herself from freaking out.

It wasn’t working very well.

-

Saffron jogged into the sparring room with a small grin on her face.

She searched the room, finding that there were several others in there training today.

“Hey! Team LAAC!” she called immediately.

All four members turned around to look at her.

“Care for a spar?” she asked, glancing down at her hand and watching the glove move around her hand.

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but it doesn’t look like your team is here,” Lavey said, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arm.

“Well, I must say, I’m not quite as sorry to burst yours, but I don’t need them, so are we getting this show on the road, or are you chicken?”

Lavey’s eyes narrowed.

“You’re on.”

Saffron grinned and rolled her shoulders before she popped her knuckles, causing a loud  **_pop_ ** to echo through the entire room.

Crystal glanced over her shoulder, eyes going wide as she saw Saffron do so.

Saffron, as she was disconnected from telepathy, sent one last message to Romy.

_ You’re welcome. _

_ Where’s team IMCA? _ Romelle thought, glancing around.

_ On their way, _ Jin replied quickly.

-

**Jinny and Sparky**

Jinny: I said move it!

Sparky: We’re coming, we’re coming! We’re just trying to pick a song!

Jinny: No time for music! Move it or lose it, sparks!

-

The door burst open, and a grinning Ilesha strode in.

“Sorry we’re late, someone just  _ had _ to bring the stereo!”

“That someone was  _ you, _ Ilesha!” Akio cried, rolling his eyes.

Rosemary was trailing behind the team, and her eyes shot around the room.

“Oh, Dust, are they really going to fight her?” she asked, looking over at where Saffron was getting ready to take on team LAAC.

“Far as I know,” Aella said, shrugging.

“I’m  _ still _ sore from the last time we fought, and that was two months ago,” Rosemary muttered, rubbing at her arm.

As Romy stared at the group, she felt an overwhelming sense of dread.

It didn’t help when Romelle’s telepathic connection started to broadcast the ticking noise to all of them.

It was getting louder.


	61. Little Lion Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's song cover:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qbltGpjhpo

Saffron took a deep breath.

She needed to keep her fight going on as long as possible so that team JARR and IMCA’s fight could end and she could get Romy back to the dorm room and away from her sister, who seemed to be trying to block out any and all emotion.

Or, well, no, she’d been laughing earlier…

She supposed the better word would be compartmentilizing, but she wasn’t certain, all things considered.

Music started up behind her, and a familiar bass sound filled the training room.

She smirked.

On the stereo that Ilesha had brought, their band’s cover of Little Lion Man was starting up, and she tapped her foot to the beat.

As the battle started, she shot off like a rocket toward the other team.

“Weep for yourself, my man,” Saffron’s own voice carried through the sparring room, and she was in the zone in moments.

“You'll never be what is in your heart.”

Jin immediately raced off to the side, away from Ilesha, and put herself in front of Mavros. Jin raised her hammer and squared her shoulders. Aella had leapt into the air, and she found that one of Cooper’s drones was following after her. Romelle was looking around with keen eyes, her pocket watch already in buzzsaw form. That left… Romy and Ilesha. Ilesha was beaming from ear to ear. Romy scrambled back and looked at Jin in betrayal. Jin didn’t even look guilty.

_ I’m not getting my ass tased again, _ Jin thought.

“Weep little lion man.”

Saffron darted through the field, using her Gravity Dust to propel her steps further and opened her right hand. Fire shot toward Crystal, who shrieked in shock. She went to summon a wall of Ice from her Dust, but Saffron waved her hand.

Crystal’s weapon flew out of her hands and skidded across the ground while Crystal cried out, hit full force by the fire.

“You're not as brave as you were at the start.”

Romy scrambled back as Ilesha advanced on her. As long as she kept her at a distance, she wouldn’t be able to go full force.

At least, she hoped that was the case.

“Rate yourself and rake yourself, take all the courage you have left.”

Saffron threw Lavey’s weapon aside as well, using the Dust in it to send it flying. She then shot ice at her friend, causing Lavey to cry out in shock as she tried to leap away.

“Wasted on fixing all the problems that you made in your own head.”

_ I like her, you know. _

Romelle skidded to a halt when a familiar voice filled her mind.

_ I  _ **_said_ ** _ we’re not going to talk about it! _ Romelle snapped.

Romy jumped.

_ W-what?! _ she thought.  _ Not talk about what?! _

Romelle glared at her sister, blocking an attack from Akio as he teleported in front of her face.

“But it was not your fault but mine.”

_ Adolpha. I like her, and I don’t care that you’re dating her. She’s going to date me, because she likes me. She’s  _ **_always_ ** _ liked me. You’re nothing but a placeholder. _

The familiar voice made Romelle freeze where she was, and her heart hammered in her chest.

_ WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?!  _ she screamed in her head.

Romy flinched and barely dodged an attack from Ilesha’s shield, which she had thrown from about twenty feet away.

_ I don’t know what you’re talking about! I didn’t say anything! _ Romy cried.

“And it was your heart on the line.”

“Bullshit you didn’t say anything, I heard you!” Romelle snapped. As she screamed, Akio hit her in the back of her head

“What did I say?!” Romy cried, screaming in shock as Ilesha’s shmazer came within an inch of finding its mark. Ilesha giggled.

_ I’m going to take her from you, and there’s nothing you can do about it. _

Romelle thrust her weapon through the air in frustration, not intending to hit anything. Despite that, Akio teleported right into the way of the weapon.

“Get out of my head!” Romelle screamed at her sister.

From across the room, Adolpha had stopped in her tracks to stare at her girlfriend in concern.

Saffron’s fist connected with her face, and she was sent flying to the ground.

“I really messed it up this time, didn't I, my dear?”

“I-I’m not in your head!” Romy cried.

_ I don’t have to be. You know it’s true. _

“Mavros, what the  **fuck** are you doing?!” Cooper snapped, spinning on his heel and glaring at his teammate.

Jin had been about to say the same thing, but her eyes widened in shock.

Did… did Cooper just… did he just curse?

In the time she’d known him, his and her entire lives, Jin had  **never** heard him swear.

“Are you messing with her damn head?!” Cooper cried. “You can’t just  _ do that _ to people!”

He clenched his fist, and Aella let out a cry of shock as a bomb nearby her exploded. Cooper didn’t seem to have noticed, though it was clear he hadn’t meant to make it happen.

“Go!” Cooper pointed at the door.

“W-what?!” Mavros cried, finally realizing what was happening.

Cooper pointed again, emphatically.

“Go! Get out of my sight! Think about what you just did!”

Mavros hesitated, but real fear entered his eyes when Cooper glared at him darkly.

“One,” he held up his first finger, “two-”

Mavros sprinted out of the room, and Cooper nodded to himself, arms crossed.

“Don’t worry, Romelle! He won’t mess with you again!” Cooper called happily, turning back to face his opponent, Aella, who had almost fallen out of the air in shock. “He was just using his semblance to… make you hear things. I don’t know what, but I’m sure he’ll apologize later!” Cooper’s eyes turned dark. “He better.”

The stereo, which had turned off during Cooper’s tirade, started up again slowly.

“Tremble for yourself, my man.”

Jin hesitated, now down an opponent, and looked around.

Romy was in a state of shock, looking around in confusion.

She tentatively connected her sister with telepathy.

_ W-what did he say? _

Romelle jumped, eyes going wide as the voice filled her head.

_ Nothing. He… he didn’t say anything. _

_ Are you sure? Do you want to talk abou- _

Romelle glared at her sister, her buzzsaw roaring to life.

_ No, I don’t want to talk about it! What about that do you not understand?! _

_ I-I just want to talk about i- _

_ Well I don’t! I just… I just want things to go back to normal! I just want to go back to the way things were, but… but everything’s trying to keep us apart, and now- _

A pair of wires shot forward and hit her in the stomach. She cried out as electricity shot through her.

She hit the ground and her Aura broke before she could hear whatever else was going to be said.

Romelle growled and stalked across the room.

She hesitated for a moment before she glared at Ilesha, changing her weapon back into pocket watch form and shoving it into her pocket. She then leaned down and grabbed her sister around the wrists and slung her over her shoulder.

“Come on, let’s get you back to the dorm, you jerk,” Romelle muttered, sighing to herself and shaking her head.

Romy’s limp form groaned.

Saffron dashed across the room and skidded to a stop next to Romelle.

“Is she okay?” she asked.

“Physically? She’ll be fine. Emotionally? Who knows.”

Saffron took Romy from her and gently held her bridal carry, looking down at her with a concerned expression.

“I…,” Romelle stared at her sister with a conflicted expression on her face, “just… just take care of her, alright? I… I need some time to think.”

Romelle walked out of the sparring room on her own with a small, sad expression on her face.

When something breaks, sometimes it’s easier to leave it broken than to hurt yourself trying to fix it.

Romelle could only wonder if this was one of those cases.


	62. Fine

“I’m telling you, it’s going to be  _ really _ fun, don’t worry!” Saffron comforted, giving Romy a small grin. “I’m singing lead! You like it when I sing, right? Yeah, I know you do, I’m awesome,” Saffron winked at Romy. “Plus, this is an album I put together  _ just for you, _ so I’m sure you’re going to like it!”

Romy was laying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

“I… I guess I can come.”

“Great! I’m telling you, this music’s going to cheer you right up!  **Guaranteed** to make you feel better, no matter what happened!”

Saffron was struggling to help her after… the fall out from earlier.

Romelle hadn’t come back to the room yet, and she wasn’t even in LAAC’s dorm. She was somewhere on her own, Saffron refused to admit that she knew where, thinking about things.

“Really?” Romy asked, rolling over a bit.

Saffron knelt down and put her finger on Romy’s chin to tilt her head to look at her.

“Promise.”

Romy smiled at her thinly.

“Okay.”

Saffron grinned and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her into the air.

“Alright! Let’s go!”

Romy squirmed a bit.

“You know I can walk, right?”

“Yeah, but walking is boring,” Saffron said, her boots shifting to Gravity Dust and letting her hover in the air.

Romy tried not to laugh, but a small chuckle left her mouth as she shook her head.

“You’re insane,” she said.

Saffron grinned at her.

“That’s the point. Jin! Come on, we’re leaving!”

Jin grumbled something from the other room and came out a minute later, stalking after them. She wasn’t in the best of moods, considering she was whisper-yelling with Saffron about finding Romelle. She had said that it was important that they talk, but Saffron had argued that Romelle had to come to terms with this on her own.

Romy just hoped that she’d have a bit of solace tonight at the gig.

-

Romy had been at the gig for a few minutes when it started.

She looked through the crowd, her eyes searching. She could see Auburn and Clover together, but they weren’t her target. Adolpha was there, dressed a bit different from how she usually did at school, but that made sense considering they were at a bar outside of school. Finally, she saw Saffron, and she gave her a small, shy smile and a wave. Saffron was on stage, kneeling down, getting ready for the gig. She grinned and waved back before she got back to work.

Romelle took a deep breath. Okay. She could forgive. She could talk to her sister, she could discuss it logically and-

Romelle looked at her sister, who… was staring at Adolpha.

She glanced to the side at her girlfriend. She was dressed casually, and Romelle had to admit that, had it been anyone else, she really wouldn’t have blamed them for a glance.

But Romy…

Romy was staring at her, and she  **knew** how Romelle felt about her, that the two of them were dating…

It was too much.

Romelle took a shaking breath before she stalked forward and grabbed her sister by the wrist.

“Wh-Romelle?! When did you get he-Where are we going-”

Romelle shoved the back door open and shoved her sister outside.

“Fine! You want to talk?! We can talk!”

Romy had a moment of excitement before her sister’s expression warned her that  _ might _ not be a good thing.

“I waited _years_ for this, dreamed about it for as long as I can remember, but you know why I didn’t do anything about it? Because she liked _you,_ so I left her to you, because I thought you might like her! But instead of giving her a second glance, you ignored her and made fun of her for years, and I was forced to stand by and watch! But now… now I have her, I have everything I’ve always wanted! **Now** you want her?! As soon as _I_ do?! What… what’s wrong with you?! What’s so deeply wrong with you that you only want something when you can’t have it?! When _I_ have it! Is there something _you_ want to talk about?! Some deeply ingrained issue that says why this might be acceptable?! Why you would finally try to have a chance with her when I’m happy?!” Romelle wiped at her eyes, taking a shaking breath. “Why can’t… why can’t you just be there for me? Why can’t you just be _happy for me,_ like I was for you?”

Romy stared at her sister, eyes going wide.

“I… I didn’t mean to… I just… I wanted to apolo… I wanted…,” Romy stopped and tried to collect her thoughts, but it wasn’t going well. She was left in shambles after her sister’s words.

Did… did she really mean that? It had to be the anger, right? In fifteen minutes, she’d regret saying those things.

Wouldn’t she?

“Romelle, I-”

Romelle sighed shakily, tears in her eyes.

“I guess it’s my fault, again. I got greedy, didn’t I? I thought for just a moment that I could have the girl and a good relationship with my sister. But… I’m starting to think that at the end of this, I’m not going to have either.”

Tears fell onto her cheeks, but she didn’t bother to wipe them away.

Romy was still scrambling to think of anything to say.

“Romelle, I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to like her, I swear, and I’m not doing anything about it! I promise! I’ll be good about this! I don’t know why you think I’m going to try to steal her from you, but I swear I’m not!”

“Then why were you staring at her in there?” Romelle asked, her voice broken. “Why did you wave at her, Romy? I love you, I really do, and I’ve gone along with so many of your schemes because, in the end, I know it’ll make you happy. I give in  _ all the time _ because of you. But this… I can’t give you this, Romy.”

“Staring at her? Romelle, I wasn’t! I didn’t wave at her, I was waving at Saffron! She was setting up on the stage, and I was trying to say hello! She-she said that she had an album that might make me feel better, so I was-”

Romelle looked at her for a moment, a look of indecision on her face.

She was trying to decide whether to believe Romy, she realized suddenly.

She… she’d never seen that look of doubt in her sister’s eyes when she looked at her.

“Romelle, I swear. I  _ am _ happy for you, I promise! And… and even if I have some feelings for her, it doesn’t matter. You’re way more important to me than she could ever be. I won’t let this come between us. You… you just have to believe me.”

Romy had reached out to grab her sister’s hands, and Romelle was hesitating, looking at her sister with a considering expression in her eyes.

Suddenly, her eyes shifted to clocks, and Romy could tell that her sister was using her semblance. Listening to the ticking.

“Please,” Romy whispered.

Romelle stared down at her as the ticking started to pound in her ears.

This time, she decided when it stopped.

She took one last breath.

“Okay.”

The ticking stopped suddenly.

Romy stared at her earnestly.

“I believe you. About all of it.”

Romelle took her sister’s hands in her own, and Romy started to cry again. She’d lost count of what number that was today.

Romelle reached out and wrapped an arm around her, and Romy fell against her.

She ran a hand down her back consolingly, and Romelle put her sister’s head on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Romy said, wrapping her arms around Romelle.

“I know. Me too,” Romelle whispered.

The door opened, and the two glanced back to find Saffron sticking her head outside.

“Oh. Uh… I was just going to check on you after you ran out… haven’t seen you since you waved at me a little while back. You two… alright?” Saffron asked.

Romelle smiled. 

“We’re fine”


	63. Chapter 63

Romelle and Romy walked back into the bar, the two sharing a small smile.

Saffron watched the two with a slightly wary expression on her face, as if she was considering the likelihood of Romelle saying something that made Romy start crying again.

The two twins hadn’t said anything, which just weirded Saffron out more.

She glanced over at Jin, who had been looking for Romy, but hadn’t been as successful as Saffron.

“Is she okay?” Jin whispered when Saffron walked up.

Saffron shrugged, watching the two twins as they muttered under their breath about something.

Saffron thought she heard the word “arson,” but she supposed that was better than the conversations they had been having lately. Sort of.

“How come you’re so good at finding people?” Jin asked. “I looked all over the place, but it’s so easy to lose that little gremlin. Even when there’s two of them!”

“What can I say? I’m just good,” Saffron said, smirking.

Jin watched her with narrowed eyes.

“Not buying it.”

“What?! I’m good at a lot of things, you know.”

“How did you do it?”

Saffron rolled her shoulders and popped her neck.

“There’s a good vantage point from the stage.”

Jin looked over at the stage, raising an eyebrow.

“No way.”

“Guess you’ll never know, cause you don’t get to go up there, do you?”

Saffron gave her a smirk before she turned to Romy.

“Well, I gotta go be the best, but I’ll be back in a bit,” Saffron grinned and leaned down a bit to ruffle Romy’s hair playfully, “but this playlist’s for you.”

Romy smiled at her, and Romelle raised an eyebrow as she watched the two interact.

Saffron leapt up onto the stage, and there was cheering that sounded through the crowd immediately as everyone watched her.

Romy frowned a bit, and Romelle smirked, bumping her shoulder against Romy.

“You know, I think you’re going to be just fine.”

Romy glanced at her sister for a moment, frowning.

“What? Why?”

“Just a feeling.”

Romy was about to ask her sister was talking about, but Saffron grabbed her microphone and Romy’s attention.

“Alright,” Saffron winced, “dudes and dudettes! Who’s ready to get this started?!”

There was loud cheering through the bar.

“Alright! Tonight’s gonna be a little bit different, considering Ilesha’s going to be relegated to the back and the  **real** crowd favorite is going to be running the show!” Saffron called, tilting her sunglasses down with her semblance so that she could wink. The bar went crazy, and Saffron smirked to herself. “Tonight’s album is also dedicated to a friend of mine, hope it cheers you up, buddy!”

The music started, and Saffron began to sing.

“No, it's no wonder I feel broken.”

Romy watched Saffron, smiling at her, though she wondered how this song was supposed to help.

”Are you the one to fix me up, patching up the work they done?”

Romy went up on the tips of her toes to see the stage, and Jin reached out, putting one hand on her shoulder.

“Try to sew me, so thread the needle, tie it off, teach me how to trust someone.”

Jin leaned down so she could speak to Romy over the roaring of the crowd.

“Don’t scream,” Jin said.

“Really hoping that you stay.”

Romy let out a sound of shock as Jin grabbed her by the hips, hoisting her into the air and setting her on her shoulders. From up here, she could easily see over everyone’s heads… though, it was a bit disorienting.

“That you never walk away.”

Romy could now see Saffron easily, and she sent her a grin. She shyly smiled back at her, waving at her again.

“Every word I shouldn't say, I shouldn't say, I shouldn't say it.”

Saffron grinned and, as she strummed, one of her gloves came off, waving back at Romy.

“Do you feel the stress in me, steady bursting at the seams?”

Romy was nodding her head to the beat, and she was beginning to understand why Saffron had chose this song.

“You're the only one I need to make me complete, yeah.”

Jin glanced up at Romy, smiling at her gently. She squeezed one of her legs before she went back to watching Saffron.

“Stitch me up, stitch me up, don't tear me apart.”

Romy found herself smirking mischievously, something she hadn’t done for a while, and she reached one hand down to mess with Jin’s hair.

“I've been stuck in the rut, patched up in the dark.”

Jin gasped in offense and looked up at her with a disbelieving look in her eyes, trying and failing to fix her hair.

“Stitch me up, stitch me up, there's pins in my heart, oh!”

Jin and Romy looked back at the stage and watched Saffron as she played, her eyes concealed behind her sunglasses. Both girls thought she was looking at them.

“Pardon all my precious scars.”

Romelle was surprised when a hand reached out to grab hers, pulling her closer. She looked up, finding Adolpha grinning down at her.

“No, it's no wonder you've been feeling like a doll in lost and found, so mistreated, thrown around.”

Romelle let her head fall against Adolpha’s shoulder, smiling gently as she listened to the music.

“Who you kidding?”

Romelle glanced up at her sister, wondering if she should pull away from Adolpha, but Romy seemed to be enjoying herself quite thoroughly, so she guessed she was distracted enough for it to be alright.

“Every flaw and every fray, that's what makes you pretty to me!”

Romy smiled shyly and ducked her head.

It really was sweet that Saffron was doing this for her.

And Jin giving her a boost was nice too.

The rest of the song was great, and so was the rest of the night!

She even found herself barely thinking about Adolpha, what with Jin and Saffron distracting her as well as the chance to talk with her sister again after everything.

For once, everything really did seem fine. Good, even!

Romy could get used to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the playlist that Saffron made for Romy-  
> best day of my life  
> life afraid  
> life of the party  
> what would i change it to  
> why worry  
> second chances  
> until the night turns  
> king and lionheart  
> broken arrows  
> stitch me up  
> trouble  
> be calm


	64. Dust

Saffron was lounging on Jin’s bed, her eyes closed as she watched the world around her.

The gig last night had been fun, and it had been great to see Romy smile again… even if the last time she’d seen the little gremlin smile so much, it had been about a prank she’d pulled off.

Even though Saffron felt really bad for everything Romy had gone through, it had  _ certainly _ made her more likable… even if Saffron would never say that, for fear of not just Romy crying, but Jin hitting her in the back of the head.

Jin was currently walking down the hallway toward class, and Saffron could see her go. Or, well, not exactly  _ her, _ but the outline of all the Dust she had on her person. Saffron had, on several occasions, put Fire Dust on Jin.

But it wasn’t  _ too much _ Dust in her opinion. Just a little in all of her clothes, had hollowed out a bit of her shoes to put Dust in, and had made sure to double check she had some on her every morning. So, yeah, it wasn’t really over kill. She did that for almost everyone she cared about, just to keep tabs on them.

That was how she’d been able to keep track of Romy whenever she tried to sneak away, because Saffron was able to keep track of where her little gremlin covered in Combustion Dust was going.

It wasn’t difficult, and she actually found it quite calming to be able to sense where everyone was at any given point, just in case of an emergency.

She had specific Dust for each of her friends, and it was easy enough to track them that way…

However, the best part might be how easy it was to scare them.

One person in particular had been trying, and failing, to figure out how she was constantly aware of their presence, and had been trying to sneak up on Saffron.

Jin thought she hadn’t noticed, but she certainly had. It was the equivalent of someone trying to sneak up on you when you were staring right at them, and Saffron had no idea why Jin was still trying to weasel out of her how she did it.

After all, it was pretty clear that it had something to do with her semblance.

It reminded her of the first semester, where Jin’s mother, and aunt, had had the same lapse in memory.

_ / _

_ Saffron smirked as she walked into class. _

_ She hadn’t been to this class  _ **_once_ ** _ this semester, but she was certain that she was going to nail the exam, so she really didn’t worry about it. _

_ For her other classes, she had studied and done the homework, but for this one, she’d decided to just wing it. After all, it was Weiss and Winter’s class, it couldn’t be that hard for Saffron of all people. _

_ Winter and Weiss had been frustrated with her not coming to class or doing the work, and they had been so proud of themselves when they’d goaded her into a bet. _

_ Her score for this exam would determine her grade for the entire semester. They’d been smug when she’d agreed, and she’d thought it was a steal! _

_ She settled into class and went to grab a test, but Weiss smirked. _

_ “We made a special one for you.” _

_ She passed Saffron a test, and she flashed her a smirk. _

_ “Thanks, that’s very kind of you.” _

_ Weiss was surprised by the response, and Saffron turned to take a seat. _

_ She finished the test before anyone else and passed it to Winter, who immediately graded it before Saffron could leave. _

_ Winter and Weiss gaped. _

_ “How?!” Winter hissed, her sister shell shocked beside her. _

_ Saffron could tell that she’d gotten a perfect score. _

_ She flashed them both a grin. _

_ “You teach Theoretical Dust Studies. You  _ **_do_ ** _ know what my semblance is, right? I invented a new way of using the stuff, I think I know what I’m talking about, even if you try to make it harder on purpose.” _

_ Saffron sent them a smirk before she left, the two watching her with disbelief. _

_ / _

Saffron laughed quietly to herself.

She supposed it just ran in the family.


	65. Questions

Romelle was sitting next to Adolpha in class, Romy at her other side. Adolpha tried to wrap an arm around her girlfriend, but Romelle shook her head subtly, moving a bit closer to her sister.

Adolpha frowned a bit, but she supposed that maybe her girlfriend didn’t want to be too affectionate in public… though, that would be a bit odd, considering Romelle seemed to like showing the world they were together at any and every opportunity.

Romelle glanced at Romy to make sure her sister hadn’t seen what had happened. She had tried to sit next to Romy today in class, and Adolpha had taken the seat next to her, as always. Romelle hadn’t thought about it until it had happened, and now she was starting to worry about Romy’s reaction.

She could remember what it was like every time she had watched Romy and Adolpha interact, and the memory still stung. She wondered if it was like that for her sister when she and Adolpha were affectionate, and the idea made her heart sink. Romelle would hate to do that to her own sister, so she was trying to distance herself and Adolpha when Romy was around as much as possible, if only to relieve some pain.

Romy, on the other hand, was confused as to why her sister was acting so strange. She kept moving away from Adolpha, and that didn’t sound like the Romelle she knew at all.

The Romelle  _ she  _ knew would never say no to the chance to curl up in Adolpha’s arms and smile smugly at the rest of the world.

When class was over, Romy grabbed Romelle’s hand and tugged her away from the rest of the students.

“What’s going on? What’s wrong with you?” Romy demanded immediately.

Romelle gave her sister a confused look.

“What? Nothing’s wrong with me.”

“Why aren’t you all over Adolpha? Isn’t that your thing? You’re sickeningly in love, that’s the whole concept, right?” Romy asked impatiently, waving her hand dismissively. She was surprised she was able to say this without too much pain.

Romelle shrugged.

“So what? Maybe I’m not in the mood to be affectionate today, it’s not a big deal.”

“Not a big deal?! Romelle, you’ve been all over her for  _ weeks _ now, what are you talking about?!” Romy took a moment to consider, noticing her sister wasn’t looking her in the eyes. “Is… is this because of me?”

Romelle sighed and crossed her arms.

“Maybe? I mean, it’s all kind of… awkward. I just don’t know how to act now that-”

Romy put her hand on Romelle’s shoulder.

“Romelle, it’s fine. I’m alright.”

Romelle hesitated for a moment, looking at her sister uncertainly.

Before she could respond, another form walked up.

“Everything alright?” Adolpha asked, glancing between the two.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Romy said with a small smile, gesturing at her sister as if you say “go ahead.”

Romelle considered for a moment before she smiled, leaning against Adolpha gently.

Adolpha kissed the top of her head, a lovesick expression on her face.

“Hey, Romy, can I talk to you for just a second before our next class?” Adolpha asked, an innocent expression on her face.

Both twins paused.

“Dolphie, I don’t know if we have time for that.”

“Oh it’ll only be a second. Please?” Adolpha gave Romy her best pleading expression, and Romelle sighed.

“Just hurry up,” Romelle said before she walked off.

Adolpha turned to Romy, giving her the slightest of smiles.

“Hey, I know that something was going on between you and Romelle, but I’m glad everything’s better now.”

Romy gulped.

“Did… did she tell you what happened?”

Adolpha shook her head, a bit of hair falling into her face.

“No, she didn’t. I’m just glad you two are close again.”

Adolpha reached up and patted Romy on the shoulder with a grin before she took off after her girlfriend.

Romy let out a small sigh before she followed after.

On the plus side, she was starting to feel a whole lot better. If she’d had that conversation with Adolpha a week ago, she would have gone limping back to the safety corner, trying not to cry.

Now, she was able to watch Romelle lean up and gently brush a bit of Adolpha’s hair out of her face with the barest of smiles on her face.

She was just happy to see her sister happy, even if it hurt just a bit.

When she reached the next class, Saffron slid into the seat next to her with a smirk.

“You’re at class? That’s a first,” Romy said playfully.

“Well, I had someone to see, didn’t I?” Saffron asked.

Romy smiled at her before she glanced down at the desk.

Maybe she was feeling better because she and her sister were talking, or maybe because she had people to help her through it.

Or maybe, just maybe, she was happier with who she was as a person.


	66. Contemplations

Adolpha took a deep breath, running a hand through her hair.

She got a dirty glare for that, and Adolpha glanced over at her girlfriend with a raised eyebrow.

Romelle leaned over and messed with her hair, causing a bit of it to fall in front of her face.Then, she moved it away and gave Adolpha a satisfied smile.

“What? Not allowed to push my own hair out of my face?” Adolpha asked playfully.

“Nope!” Romelle replied, putting her head on her shoulder as the two half paid attention to class.

Adolpha raised an eyebrow, looking down at Romelle.

“That’s officially my job now,” Romelle said, shrugging as if to say it wasn’t up to her.

Adolpha chuckled and watched her fondly, running a hand down her back.

She was happy to see Romelle smiling again. It felt like it had been far too long since she had had the chance to see that, and she was glad to again.

Adolpha wasn’t sure what had been going on between Romy and Romelle, and it had been difficult to watch without knowing how she could help.

Romelle was curled up against her side, and she let out a sigh of content as she relaxed against her.

Adolpha wasn’t sure what had been going on with the twins in general, as well as what had happened earlier that morning, with Romelle seeming not to want to touch her.

At least things were back to normal, right? At least between her and Romelle, they seemed perfectly fine.

Her and Romy, however… Adolpha wasn’t quite so sure.

Something was different between the two now, and she wasn’t quite sure what it was, but it… seemed like everything had fixed itself. Right?

They seemed close again, which might not be a good thing for the school, but it was good for them, wasn’t it?

Adolpha was happy that Romelle had worked everything out with her sister, but Adolpha was still pretty worried about everything.

It…  _ seemed _ like it had been Romy’s fault, considering Romelle had gone off on a rant to Aella and Lavey the other night.

Had she apologized? Had Romelle forgiven her?

What had the argument been about?

Adolpha wanted to ask all of this and more, but she knew that she couldn’t, and it was frustrating to watch Romelle struggle while there was nothing she could do.

Romelle glanced up at her, raising an eyebrow as she watched her.

“Are you alright?” she whispered.

Adolpha jumped, and Romelle scowled a bit at the motion.

“What? O-oh, yeah, I’m alright!” Adolpha said quietly. “Just a, uh, interesting lecture.”

Adolpha gestured at the front of the classroom, where Winter was lecturing them all over the many uses of Dust.

Romelle raised an eyebrow, leaning closer and starting to twirl a bit of Adolpha’s hair around her finger.

At the front of the classroom, Weiss’ eyes widened, watching her oldest daughter as she started to giggle, swatting at Romelle’s hand.

Weiss wanted to call out and stop the two students, but her mouth had gone dry, and she was forced to watch them.

Winter’s eyes widened, but she calmed herself.

She cleared her throat, loudly.

Romelle glanced up and rolled her eyes. Adolpha didn’t seem to notice, still watching Romelle with a fond expression.

Winter cleared her throat again.

Romelle glared at her from her seat, and Adolpha seemed to hear  _ something, _ but Romelle grabbed her face in her hands and turned her to face her fully again, giving Winter a smug look while she leaned closer to Adolpha.

“Ms. Soliel, I’d  _ greatly _ appreciate it if you stopped trying to distract your classmate.”

Adolpha finally seemed to realize that something was happening, considering she jumped and looked over, eyes going wide.

She flushed pink and turned back to the front, trying to look like she was taking notes over the lecture she hadn’t been listening to a word of.

Romelle huffed to herself and rolled her eyes, leaning back in her seat and watching the lecture with a disinterested look on her face.

Weiss was still watching Adolpha with a shocked expression on her face, as if she couldn’t believe what had just happened, that she had been forced to  _ watch _ it happen.

Adolpha glanced at her mother and felt her face flush red. She offered up a small, apologetic smile, and Weiss just watched her, eyes wide.

Adolpha tried to wave at her, but it didn’t work either, and before she could try again, Romelle grabbed her hand and started to run her thumb over the back of it.

Weiss took a deep breath and forced herself to focus on the lesson.

She guessed she would just have to get used to this, considering Adolpha wasn’t her only child that seemed to have found herself in a happy relationship, and she knew that there would probably be more on the way.


	67. Attempts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This takes place a few years before the rest of this part!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saffron: The only short thing about me is my temper. *winks*

Raelynn took a deep breath, glancing up at Braelyn with a shy expression on her face. Her eyes met Braelyn’s own for a moment before she let her eyes flicker down.

Braelyn was smiling a bit, Raelynn was staring at it, though the expression was a bit shy as she watched her girlfriend.

“Are you s-”

Raelynn reached out and put her hand on top of Braelyn’s knee, causing her to fall silent immediately.

Raelynn started to lean in a bit, her eyes fluttering shut. Braelyn did the same.

The two of them were twelve now, and they’d been dating for years at this point, and the two were finally ready to share their first kiss. It had taken them a while to get to this point, but they both thought they were ready.

They had set up the perfect moment. The lighting in Raelynn’s room was dim, and the two were both seated on top of her bed, sitting cross legged in front of each other.

Raelynn tentatively reached one hand up, floundering and wondering where she could put it. On Braelyn’s shoulder? On her arm? Behind her neck? Suddenly, she wasn’t sure what she should do.

Despite that, she continued to lean forward. It was alright if it was a little awkward.

Braelyn was also trying to figure out what to do, and she decided to just go for it.

Just a moment before the two could connect their lips, the door slammed open.

Raelynn and Braelyn both jumped, almost falling off of the bed.

Braelyn’s hands shot out to catch Raelynn before she could fall off of the bed, steadying her. Raelynn had shifted onto sitting on her knees so that she could close the distance between them, and that had almost caused her to fall off.

Ilia was standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at the two of them.

“What were you tw-” Ilia cut herself off with a small shake of the head. “You two know that you’re supposed to keep the door fully open, and neither of you should be doing… j-just stay an arms length away from each other!”

Raelynn and Braelyn had both flushed, but Raelynn was glaring at her mother darkly.

“Mom, boundaries!” Raelynn cried. “You don’t make Clover and Auburn keep the door open when he comes over!”

“Because they’re not  _ dating, _ Raelynn!” Ilia cried. “You two, on the other hand, are!”

“So?! I’m allowed to do that!” Raelynn cried.

“If you stay an arms length away from each other, like we discussed! You’re  _ twelve, _ Raelynn!” Ilia snapped.

“So?! We’ve been dating since we were seven!” Raelynn replied.

“You’re  _ twelve _ !”

“And you’re a prude!” Raelynn snapped.

Braelyn had fallen silent, letting her girlfriend go as she sat back down, trying to look small as she listened to the two argue. She was trying to pretend that she wasn’t here, but Ilia’s glare, which was boring into her skull, seemed to say otherwise.

Ilia dragged Braelyn and Raelynn out of the bedroom and dropped them both off in the living room, watching the two darkly as she went about her business.

Anyways, that’s how their first attempt at a first kiss had gone.

-

Raelynn took a deep breath as she took a seat on the bed. They were trying this a second time. It had been a week since the first attempt, and Braelyn was sitting on the bed, her legs crossed in front of her as she leaned back on her arms.

This was their second attempt, but Braelyn didn’t seem to know it. Raelynn was intent on fixing that, considering she crawled closer to where she was sitting.

Braelyn instantly glanced over at her, eyes widening. Raelynn leaned closer, putting one hand on top of Braelyn’s own as she let her eyes flutter shut.

Braelyn panicked for a moment before she let her eyes close, leaning closer and putting one hand on top of Raelynn’s cheek-

The door opened, and Pyrrha grinned at the two before her eyes widened. The tray of cookies in her hands tumbled to the ground, making a loud, clattering sound that echoed through the room. Raelynn flinched and brought her hands up to cover her dhole ears with a wince.

Braelyn’s eyes widened and she glanced over at Pyrrha, her heart stopping.

_ Not again, _ she thought.

Pyrrha shakily started to lean down and grab the tray.

“I-I’m sorry, girls, I-I was just going to… offer some cookies, but it looks like I might be… interrupting something…”

“Pyrrha?! Honey, what’s wrong?!” Ilia called, her voice getting closer.

Braelyn shook her head.

“Nope! Sorry, babe, I love you, but not again.”

With that, she leapt out of the window and flew off, leaving Raelynn to fall over and scream into her pillow.

-

The third attempt was the next day. They had decided that, perhaps, the curse was that the two of them were both in the wrong house to attempt their first kiss (yet again), so they had decided to try the Vine household.

Ilia grabbed Natalie by the arm before she could walk in.

“Wait, you need to watch them  _ very, very _ closely.”

“What? Why?” Natalie asked, glancing over her shoulder at her eldest daughter and girlfriend.

“They’ve been dating for  _ how long _ now?” Ilia asked.

“Five years or so,” Natalie said, shrugging.

“And what did  _ you _ do five seconds after you started to date your wives?” Ilia continued impatiently.

“I k-” Natalie cut herself off, eyes going wide with shock. “Oh… oh  _ no. _ No, we have to stop…”

She whipped her head around, eyes landing on Raelynn and Braelyn as they walked through the front yard, holding hands.

“It’s too late,” Natalie whispered to herself.

“No, it’s not! Just stop them!” Ilia hissed. “They’re not ready! They’re twelve!”

Natalie nodded and took off after her oldest daughter.

Meanwhile, Raelynn took a deep breath before she turned to face her girlfriend, the two sitting in Braelyn's bedroom.

She was leaning closer, looking over at Braelyn with a fond light to her eyes.

Braelyn was sitting on the bed again, and Raelynn was leaning closer, putting one hand on her knee while the other settled on her neck, pulling her closer.

They were less than an inch apart from one another, and both of them were shaking with anticipation.

Just before they could finally,  _ finally _ close the little distance between the two of them, the door opened.

“Hey, Brae-”

Ivy froze in the doorway, her jaw dropping as she stared at her daughter.

She was curled up next to Raelynn, the two of them less than an inch apart, and her brain short circuited.

What… what was going on?

Braelyn was about to kiss Raelynn when her mother’s strangled cry of shock came from the doorway.

The two fell apart, staring at Ivy with a mix of disbelief and frustration.

**Again** !

How had this happened so many times?!

“H-hey, mom,” Braelyn said.

Ivy was still staring down at the two of them with shock, her eyes unseeing as she looked at the two.

“Uh… you alright?” Braelyn asked, glancing at her girlfriend with a nervous expression.

“I… I need brain bleach.”

Ivy walked out unseeingly, bumping into the doorframe with a surprised expression on her face.

Suffice it to say, this attempt didn’t go so well either.

-

Raelynn looked around the room nervously, and Braelyn rolled her eyes.

“Babe, it’s fine, they’re not going to interrupt again,” she said, putting her hand on top of Raelynn’s own with a small smile. She still had a shy light of her eyes, and Raelynn found it adorable.

The two of them were in the guest room upstairs, the door locked as the two sat down together.

Now that there was pretty much no way for the two to get interrupted, they were both sneaking shy glances at one another.

Raelynn was fiddling with her fingers, and Braelyn leaned closer, resting her hand on Raelynn’s cheek and pulling her closer and tilting her head to the side.

They didn’t need to speak, because the moment was perfect. The two of them were both sure of how the other felt. They’d been in love with each other for years, and now they were finally sure how to show each other how they felt in a new way. They were both ready, and as they leaned together, two pairs of eyes fell shut.

Braelyn ran her thumb across Raelynn’s face to move a bit of her hair out of her face.

Their lips were less than a second from touching when a form started to tap on the glass.

They both jumped in shock, their heads bumping into each other and their lips  _ just _ missing each other as they head bumped.

Natalie threw the window open and stuck her head in, eyes wide.

“H-hey! Stay away from my daughter!”

“She tried to kiss me!” Raelynn cried.

“I tried to kiss her!” Braelyn snapped, groaning as she clutched her head.

Natalie threw herself into the room.

Raelynn and Braelyn glared at her before they stalked out of the room.

It seemed like today wasn’t their day, but that didn’t mean they weren’t going to give it  _ one last try. _

-

Raelynn and Braelyn were both huddled together in the supply closet, looking around nervously.

The two of them finally let out a sigh, inching closer to each other. Their hands reached out and grabbed one another, threading their fingers together.

They held hands as they leaned closer to each other, eyes fluttering shut, despite the room already being dark.

They were almost touching when the door slammed open.

Rachel stood there, huffing and puffing like a wolf that had just blown down a straw house.

Raelynn groaned and Braelyn screamed in frustration.

Rachel didn’t seem to care, looking far too proud of herself for having caught her daughter in her third attempt to kiss her girlfriend in the same day.

-

Raelynn looked around quickly, putting her hand on top of Braelyn gently.

“Okay… we’re alone, we can do this,” Raelynn said softly, moving closer and letting her eyes fall shut. She wanted to make this fast, just wanted to finally have the chance to kiss her girlfriend for the first time.

Braelyn seemed just as eager, and she closed the distance between them, putting her hand on Raelynn’s arm gently.

Just before the two of them could kiss, the door opened.

Raelynn growled deep in her throat, spinning where she sat.

She glared daggers at whoever had opened the door.

Clover stood there, eyes wide.

“Hey! Get off her, Rae! Leave the poor girl alone!” he cried.

“Screw off, Clove!” she shouted, throwing her pillow at him.

“No way! I’m not going to let you get your first kiss before me!” he cried.

Raelynn’s eye twitched.

“Then get a boyfriend or girlfriend of your own and  **leave us alone** !”

“No!” he cried.

Raelynn pushed herself to her feet and took off after her brother, whose eyes widened before he started to run away.

“Hey!” he cried.

Raelynn didn’t care that he was calling out for help, didn’t care that his legs were twice as long as his, and didn’t care that he was right in front of Ilia.

She caught up to him and tackled him to the ground.

“Just leave us alone!” she cried.

Clover defended himself from her attacks, eyes wide.

Braelyn raced into the room, and Clover looked over at Braelyn as if expecting her to help, but she was watching Raelynn with a fond look to her eyes.

When Raelynn was done, she huffed and pushed herself to her feet and huffed, grabbing Braelyn’s hand in hers before stalking out into the backyard.

Braelyn happily followed, grinning at her girlfriend as they hurried outside.

“We have to stop them!” Ilia hissed, grabbing Pyrrha’s hand.

Pyrrha stayed still, and Ilia tried to pull her out.

“What?” she asked.

“They’re kids, Il,” she said gently, “let them be kids.”

-

Raelynn and Braelyn climbed up the tree house, and Raelynn stole the ladder, pulling it up with them.

They looked around for a moment before the two of them grinned shyly at each other.

“Well… looks like we’re alone now,” Raelynn said with a small smile on her face, reaching out to grab Braelyn’s hand in her own.

The two shared a quiet, awkward laugh before they both leaned closer.

Raelynn reached one hand up, putting it on her girlfriend’s cheek to guide her to her lips. Braelyn put her free hand on Raelynn’s hip to steady her, the two letting their eyes fall shut as they closed the little distance between them.

“I love you,” Braelyn whispered.

Raelynn giggled.

“I love you, too, idiot, now hurry up before someone interrupts.”

Braelyn complied, connecting their lips and pulling her girlfriend close.

Sun, who had been sitting on the tree branch outside, glanced over, eyes going wide as he saw his daughter and Braelyn…

Kissing.

Sun let out a strangled cry before he fell off of his tree branch and hit the ground with a loud  **thump** .

Raelynn heard her father fall, as well as the groan of pain, but she didn’t pay him any mind. Her ear twitched as she pulled her girlfriend closer, not caring about anything that could interrupt them.

Now that they were finally kissing, she thought that that the entirety of both their families could burst in, and she wouldn’t even bat an eye.

She had the best distraction in her arms, after all.


	68. Raven and The Avatar

**Raven and The Avatar**

Raven: How’s life in JARR’s dorm room treating you?

The Avatar: Pretty good, pretty good! I mean, there’s some gremlins, both of the crying variety and not, and Jin is great.

Raven: I’m sure you think that.

The Avatar: How’s IMCA? Sure YOU’RE having the time of your life.

Raven: Yes, because when I imagined my ideal school experience, I thought of spending it with an electric menace to society that lowers the general IQ of the world, an asshole who won’t stay out of people’s heads, a gleeful techno gremlin, and my moody boyfriend.

The Avatar: What a glowing review. Are you going to put it on Yelp for the next patron?

Raven: Definitely. 0/10 stars, would leave but my regular dorm is -10/10 stars.

The Avatar: No need to be kind, it’s a shithole, we know it.

Raven: I love how you say “it” instead of “him.”

The Avatar: I’m TRYING to be classy, sis.

Raven: You used the word “shithole,” that’s not very classy.

The Avatar: What can I say? I skip class.

Raven: That was weak, even for you. Dust, you’re like Aunt Yang.

The Avatar: Thank you, your insults make me stronger.

Raven: That’s like saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” when you’re talking to a bomb.

The Avatar: Technically, if you think about, insults LITERALLY are what made me the strong Huntress-to-be that I am.

Raven: My ass they did! You should be thanking ME!

The Avatar: Oh, yes, you and your kids shows.

Raven: For the last time, it’s ALL AGES!

The Avatar: That’s why it has curse words.

Raven: Shut your damn mouth.

The Avatar: And that will stop me from texting how?

Raven: Just because you have a point doesn’t make you not a bitch.

The Avatar: I count on it. By the way, did you know that I’m ROMY’S GLOVES?! That’s wild! I’ve never been gloves before!

Raven: I’ve told you a million times, it’s called a coping mechanism for deeply ingrained childhood trauma that you should really go to a therapist to talk about.

The Avatar: Eh, you say childhood trauma, I say badass gloves that let me level cities with a thought. Same thing really.

Raven: It’s not.

The Avatar: Whatever, we’re getting off topic.

Raven: There was a topic?

The Avatar: Yes! The topic was me! It was how amazing I am, and the fact that I am a pair of human gloves!

Raven: Ah, yes, how could I forget? I suppose I got distracted by the fact that you’re talking about your childhood trauma in a NORMAL CONVERSATION AS IF THIS ISN’T A DEEP SEEDED ISSUE THAT YOU NEED TO TALK ABOUT!

The Avatar: You should focus, then, considering that’s something you should be used to by now.

Raven: Of course. I’M the one with issues, not you, considering you call your security blanket, and by extension all security blankets, gloves.

The Avatar: The ARE gloves, you’re the one in denial now, sis.

Raven: I didn’t mention denial.

The Avatar: I’m in denial of that too.

Raven: SEE?! YOU JUST ADMITTED IT!

The Avatar: I deny that.

Raven: Bitch.

The Avatar: I don’t deny that.

Raven: I’m so done with you.

The Avatar: And you’re only seventeen years into your life sentence!

Raven: Don’t remind me. I need coffee to get through this sentence.

The Avatar: It’s six in the afternoon.

Raven: And yet I’m tired of your shit.

The Avatar: Oooh, nice! Can I use that one?

Raven: No.

The Avatar: Too bad!

Raven: Copyright means nothing to you, does it?

The Avatar: Is that something you invented?

Raven: I hate that that made me laugh, and I hate you.

The Avatar: Thank you.

-

**Dolphie ❤️🤍 and Love of Mine 😍**

Dolphie ❤️🤍: So, are you finally going to tell me what happened?

Love of Mine 😍: Nope! Face it, you’re never going to find out.

Dolphie ❤️🤍: I’ll figure it out one way or another!

Love of Mine 😍: I look forward to the day ;)

Dolphie ❤️🤍: You won’t have to wait long!

-

**Raven and The Avatar**

The Avatar: I just remembered something you said.

Raven: Congratulations.

The Avatar: You’re not the reason I figured this out! You’re not the reason I have gloves!

Raven: You were going to have some unfashionable gauntlets, you dumbass!

The Avatar: Okay, but I would have figured it out.

Raven: Would you have?

The Avatar: I figured out the combat boots and belt though!

Raven: Yeah, after the gloves! Not to mention I’m the reason you had the idea of using Dust like this!

The Avatar: Don’t pretend you made that masterpiece.

Raven: You called it horrible.

The Avatar: Until it made me realize my power! Now it’s amazing.

Raven: It was always amazing.

The Avatar: Yeah, yeah, we all know that you’re secretly in love with my character.

Raven: Am not! Aang isn’t my type.

The Avatar: ;) Wasn’t talking about him.

Raven: Oh, Kyoshi? Heck yeah.

The Avatar: Called it!

Raven: Don’t tell Akio.

The Avatar: Why? Afraid he won’t watch it with you?

Raven: Yes.

The Avatar: That’s a legitimate fear.

Raven: I know.

The Avatar: I’m telling him.

Raven: I hate you.

The Avatar: ;)

-

**Saffron and Akio**

Saffron: Your girlfriend may or may not be in love with Kyoshi from Avatar

Akio: I know.

Saffron: Oh?

Akio: You can’t watch this show with her and not see how she drools with her seven foot ass walks on screen.

Saffron: That’s true, that’s true… but can you blame her?

Akio: Not in the slightest.


	69. Gloveless

Saffron and Jin were walking down the hall casually. Classes had just ended, and Romy and Saffron had decided that, after the day they’d spent in the room, they wanted to meet Jin and walk her back to the dorm room.

However, Saffron seemed to have… lost sight of Romy.

Listen, it really wasn’t her fault. There was a  _ foot and two inches of height difference _ between the two of them, and it was easy to lose a gremlin that she could step on if she wasn’t careful.

The two didn’t really seem to mind that she was gone, as they were sure that she would come back eventually and join them in a few minutes, but had probably gotten distracted by her sister.

It was only when they heard yelling that the two looked up, seeming concerned.

“-had  _ no right _ to do what you did to my sister! You should be  _ ashamed _ of yourself for what you did to her! Do you know how long it took for us to get over what you said?! Do you know what you  **did** to my sister?!” Romy was screaming.

Jin and Saffron glanced at each other before they changed trajectory, heading a bit to the side. They couldn’t see their little gremlin friend, but assumed that she was standing behind the behemoth she was scolding.

Mavros seemed a bit concerned, or perhaps even guilty, as he shifted from one foot to the other. Romy didn’t care, continuing to berate him for his actions at full volume… though, she was careful to not mention exactly what he had said to her sister, in case anyone might overhear.

She had tried to tap him in the chest menacingly, but with the height difference… that had been rather difficult.

Jin and Saffron hadn’t changed pace, instead casually walking up to their friend.

Jin reached one arm down, once they came into view, and grabbed Romy around the waist. In one fluid motion, all while not missing a step, she threw the other girl over her shoulder like a sack of flour.

Romy let out a cry of protest, squirming on her friend’s shoulder as she continued to yell

Saffron, in step with Jin, sent Mavros a scathing glare.

Saffron waved her hand, glove flying off with force and poking him in the chest.

“We’re saving you from her now,” Saffron’s gloveless hand shook, though her voice was even and steady, “but next time, you’re all hers, and whatever remains of you… well, let’s just say you’ll be missing  _ something _ important before you go limping back to the dorm.”

Saffron shoved him again, clenching her hand into a fist in an effort to stop the shaking.

Jin reached out as the glove shot toward them, her free hand gently sliding into Saffron’s own.

Saffron hesitated for a moment, her fingers shaking as she let them thread between Jin’s own.

Jin gave her a small, fond smile and Saffron shyly met her gaze before she glanced down at the ground.

Romy, who had been watching the two of them as they carried her off, was surprised to see that Saffron’s glove flew into her pocket, and she stared at their interconnected hands with a disbelieving expression.

She’d only seen Saffron take her gloves off when she was going to sleep, and sometimes not even then if she was having a bad night. She hadn’t last night, Romy had noticed.

Her hand was shaking, but the longer Jin held it, the less it did so.

Romy wished that she was slung over Jin’s over other shoulder so that she could put her hand on Saffron’s shoulder, but she guessed she was alright here.

Saffron and Jin looked happy enough, at least.

-

Saffron smiled down at Romy as she got settled on the bed.

Romy had insisted that she was feeling better lately, that she was getting over Adolpha, but Saffron and Jin didn’t seem to care.

“You hold your pillow when you sleep, might as well hold someone else instead,” Saffron gave her a wry grin, “it’s warmer, ya know?”

Romy hadn’t been able to come up with a response, her brain had just said “no” when she had asked it to, so now she was trapped in a tiny bed with two giants, one on either side.

Saffron had one arm lazily draped around her waist, the other one over her head and, presumably, resting on Jin.

Jin was curled up into a ball, her form cradling Romy almost entirely, like she did every night lately.

Romy glanced to the side, seeing that Saffron’s hand, which still had on its glove, was resting on Jin’s stomach lightly.

Romy wanted to remind her that she had said she’d take them off tonight, but she wasn’t sure if that was alright for her to say.

Jin, on the other hand, glanced down and raised an eyebrow.

“I know you didn’t just put that glove on me,” Jin said.

Saffron jumped, her hand flinching away.

“Right… welp, goodnight!” Saffron replied, one glove shooting off her hand to turn out the lights. Aella let out a strangled cry of shock, though Saffron supposed that made no sense considering Aella could see in the dark, but she didn’t want to mention it.

Saffron’s glove shot back toward her hand, but Jin reached out to snatch it out of the air.

Saffron didn’t let that deter her, tugging on the Dust more forcefully.

Jin made a small sound of shock as the glove was wrenched from her grasp, her hand flying forward to hit Romy in the face.

Romy let out a cry of shock, clutching her nose.

“What the heck?!” she cried, curling up closer to Saffron, as if Jin had betrayed her.

“Oh my Dust!” Jin cried. “I’m so sorry!”

Jin tried to check on their friend, but Saffron brought her hand closer to her chest.

“See? That’s why you leave them alone, alright?!” Saffron cried defensively, running her thumb against the glove as if trying to calm it down.

Jin glared at her.

“You’re the one that hit her!”

“Oh really? Then why is she probably going to wake up in the morning with a giant hand print where you hit her in the face?!” Saffron hissed

“Just take those things off!” Jin cried.

Saffron hesitated.

“I-I-”

Jin’s expression softened.

“Here,” she said gently, holding out her hands.

Saffron slowly set her own in JIn’s hands, and she gently, but swiftly, opened the latches, sliding the gloves off smoothly.

Romy blinked into the darkness, trying and failing to see what was happening.

Saffron and Jin shared a smile over her head before they curled up and started to go to sleep.

Romy tried to be frustrated that the two giants had squeezed her into the bed with them, especially when there was a  _ free bed across the room, _ but she found herself smiling just slightly, eyes falling shut as she curled up closer, setting her head on Saffron’s shoulder and letting herself slip asleep as well.


	70. The Day Before

Clover took a deep breath, his fingers twitching subconsciously.

He was clutching a bouquet of flowers in both hands, and he was going over what he wanted to say in his head.

Unsuccessfully, that is.

It was all a jumble of thoughts and confusion, more like a list of things he wanted to tell Auburn.

He… he was kind and sweet, gentle and loving, always the first to offer his help to those in need… the man of his dreams…

Clover wanted to tell him all of that and more, he just… he couldn’t find the words.

Despite that, he was standing here, right where he had messaged his friend, and hopefully more in about fifteen minutes, and was trying to convince himself that he was going to go through with this.

“Clover?” a voice called.

Clover spun, fumbling as he shoved the flowers behind his back.

He flushed a light shade of pink.

“H-hey, Auburn!” he said, clearing his throat as his voice cracked.

“I-is there a reason you called me and asked me to stay here, or…?” Auburn frowned and leaned to the side, trying to see something. “Clove, what are you hiding behind your back?”

Clover stumbled back a few feet and hid the flowers further.

“U-uh, well, those are… supposed to come later, if you’d just… let me finish telling you what I was trying to say-”

“Is it a surprise?” Auburn’s eyes light up in excitement. “I love surprises!”

Clover found himself smiling down fondly at the other boy.

“I-I know, which is why I’m trying to surprise you, i-if you’d just give me the chance to say-”

“Is this like a surprise party? Is everyone hidden?” Auburn looked around the small restaurant eagerly, as if they were all, somehow, hiding in plain sight all around him.

“N-no, I was trying to tell you that-”

Auburn was still looking around, and Clover sighed.

“Auburn, can… hey… I-I just wanted to tell you that…”

Auburn finally turned his full attention on Clover, and he stopped when their eyes met.

“Is everything alright? Is something wrong?” Auburn asked.

“No, it’s just… I really need to tell you something important, and I’m having trouble finding the words, so just…,” Clover took a shaking breath.

Auburn stepped forward and put his hand on Clover’s arm comfortingly, looking up into his eyes with a fond expression.

“Hey, there’s no reason to be so nervous, Clove. You can tell me anything. You know that, right?”

Auburn smiled brightly at him, and Clover swallowed.

“Y-yeah, I know… it’s just…,” Clover’s mind went blank, and he said the first thing he could think of. “You like me,” his eyes went wide. “I-I mean I like you! T-that’s what I meant to say, a-and I-I mean I hope you like me too, that’s what I was thinking!”

Clover fumbled and brought his flowers out from behind his back, holding them up toward Auburn and coming close to almost hitting him in the gut on accident.

“S-so I got you these… you know, a-as a surprise, because you like surprises. The good kind, anyways, not even Ruby had M… w-well anyways, you like surprises, and I wanted to give you a good one because… well, because, like I said, I really like you.

Auburn was staring at him with a blank expression

There was a moment of silence, and Clover started to shift awkwardly.

“I-if you don’t want to go out, it’s… it’s not a big deal, you know. I-”

Auburn suddenly  **beamed** up at Clover, grabbing his hand and pulling him closer.

“You know, I’ve always loved surprises, but now I have a reason to!” Auburn said excitedly, pulling Clover down for a kiss.

-

Auburn fell through the sky, leveling his harpoon gun and shooting out, the shot hitting a tree and tugging at the rope and sending himself flying toward the tree.

He scrambled onto the limb and steadied himself there, holding it tightly.

He let out a breath of relief as he found his balance, looking around for a moment and squinting as he tried to find sight of Clover. The two of them had started dating last afternoon, and they had promised to try to find each other during their time in the forest.

He leaned forward, having caught sight of familiar blond hair.

Was that Clov-

Before he got an answer, Auburn fell out of the tree and landed on his sister.

-

Clover let out a cry of shock as someone reached up and tapped him on the back. He spun around in shock, reaching for his yo-yo.

He relaxed when he saw it was just Colby.

Clover put on a fake smile.

“Looks like you’re stuck with me,” Colby said with a sly smirk.

“Stuck? Not stuck,” Clover said, though he let out a quiet sigh before leaving the clearing.


	71. Over You

“Romy! Wait up!”

Romy stopped, glancing over her shoulder when she heard the familiar voice.

She winced when she saw that Adolpha was jogging toward her, a small grin on her face.

Romy waited for her heart to skip a beat when Adolpha looked at her with an excited expression. She was surprised to notice that it didn’t, but she couldn’t say she was disappointed.

“Yeah?” Romy asked, crossing her arms and trying to keep herself distant.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go for a spar. You know, so that we can celebrate the whole you and Romelle being close again,” Adolpha said, shrugging.

Romy silently sighed.

“Yeah. That sounds great, Adolpha.”

Adolpha grinned at her before she started to head to the sparring room, clearly expecting Romy to follow.

“Are you sure you’re alright with…,” Jin trailed off, reaching out and putting her hand on Romy’s shoulder.

Romy thought about it for a moment before she answered, shocking herself in the process.

“Yeah… yeah, I think I am.”

Saffron grinned and grabbed Romy around the waist with one arm.

Romy was shocked for a moment, eyes going wide. Was she going to walk with her like th-

Saffron then hoisted her friend into the air and threw her over her shoulder with a laugh.

“Then let’s not keep her waiting!” Saffron said, walking after Adolpha briskly, Jin at her side.

Romy frowned and tried to push herself off, but Saffron tilted her sunglasses down to look at her in the eyes.

“Something wrong?”

Romy tried to figure out how to respond, but she couldn’t, so she just stayed silent.

Saffron smirked and then turned back to look down the hallway.

-

Saffron threw the doors open and set Romy on her feet, smirking at Adolpha.

“Looking for a second loss this week?” Saffron asked, raising an eyebrow. “Me beating the Dust out of you not enough?”

Adolpha glared at her for a moment, rolling her eyes.

“A Huntress in training-”

“Should always be training, blah, blah, blah, the stuff you used to say when we were kids. But when you’re  _ this _ good, who needs to practice?” Saffron asked.

“You practice every day,” Jin said dryly, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow as she looked at Saffron.

Saffron waved her hand dismissively.

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. Anyways, Romy, how about you go show her what you’ve got?”

Romy glanced over at Saffron, about to respond, but she hesitated for a moment. She met Saffron’s gaze, her sunglasses having lowered so that she could look at Romy in the eyes, and Romy found herself just nodding mutely.

Adolpha stretched her arms for a moment before she reached down and slid her hooked swords out of their sheaths as she looked at her opponent.

Romy reached down and grabbed her sword cane, hefting it in one hand to get the weighting right for a moment.

She hadn’t made her weapon too long ago, compared to some of the others that is, and, because of this, was still getting used to parts of it.

She shot toward Adolpha quickly, her cane twirling between her fingers with ease, swinging it toward Adolpha as soon as they got close.

Adolpha swung her first sword and caught the cane in mid air, ducking down as the blade extended.

Her other sword reached out and grabbed Romy by the calf, tugging forward and causing her to fall to the ground.

Romy hit the ground with a  **thump** and she fumbled to raise her cane, struggling to defend against the two weapons.

Finally, Romy reached one leg up and kicked Adolpha in the gut, sending her tumbling backward into a roll while she fell, coming back up with her hooked swords in their crossbow form.

She grabbed a crossbow bolt from behind her back and snapped it into place. She shot and Romy cursed, jumping to the side and barely avoiding the attack. Just then, Adolpha grabbed another and shot again at Romy, who growled when it hit her in the shoulder.

Saffron was watching the whole thing with a slightly anxious expression on her face, running her thumb against her palm, feeling the glove against her skin.

“You alright?” Jin whispered, leaning closer and watching Saffron with concern.

“What?” Saffron jumped. “Oh, right, yeah. Just…”

She didn’t finish her sentence, watching Romy with concern.

Romy brought her cane up just in time to block an attack from both of Adolpha’s blades, holding both back as she almost fell.

She was trying to figure out a way out of this situation when she heard a sickening  **_crack_ ** resound through the sparring room.

Romy let out a grunt of shock as two hooked swords suddenly flew toward her, striking her in the head and the chest.

She tumbled to the ground with a mix of shock and pain. Romy blinked her eyes open and she fumbled around the ground for her weapon. She felt her hand grasp something, and she brought it up, trying to hit Adolpha in the leg, but she froze as soon as it came into her eye line.

The weapon, which had once been at about waist level, was now splintered and cracked, different pieces of it lying across the ground around her.

Adolpha stumbled for a moment, clearly wondering what she was supposed to do now that Romy’s weapon was broken.

“Romy, I’m so-”

Romy cried out in shock as she was suddenly tugged across the ground, away from her opponent with force, flying across the floor of the room and shooting toward Saffron.

Romy tried to figure out what was happening. She was clearly being pulled by Dust, but  _ where _ was it?!

She tried to stop herself from being plucked from the ground and thrown toward Saffron’s outstretched arms.

Romy, as Saffron caught her and held her tightly, finally realized what it was.

The belt. The gift that Saffron had randomly gotten her was filled with Dust.

_ “We can be matching this way. You know, give you a bit more style,” _ Saffron had said.

She  **really** had meant matching, hadn’t she?

“Did you put Dust in my belt?!” Romy cried, squirming in her arms.

“Yes, and it’s a good thing too! She could have taken your head off!” Saffron snapped, glaring across the room at Adolpha, who shrunk back.

“I didn’t mean to… I’ll help you fix your cane, Romy, I’m sorry-”

“You’ll be doing no such thing,” Saffron said dismissively, waving a hand and shifted all of Romy’s weight to one arm. “You should make some sort of apology for breaking it, obviously, but that weapon was a menace! And not in the way weapons are supposed to be! Honestly, that thing could have gotten her  _ killed _ on its own! We’re making her a new one. Come on, Romy.”

Romy let out a cry of outrage as Saffron started to carry her out of the room.

“Saffron, put me do-”

Romy had been situated so that Saffron was holding her with one arm, her head slung over her shoulder so she was faced the other direction. Saffron turned her so that she was being gently clutched by both arms, and she looked at her with a small light of concern to her eyes. Saffron quickly pushed her sunglasses up with her semblance, but Romy had already seen it.

“Come on, you need a better weapon than that, anyways. It didn’t even go with your outfit anyways,” Saffron said flippantly.

Romy couldn’t find it in her to argue as she was carried away.

Meanwhile, Adolpha glanced over at Jin, a confused expression on her face.

“What just happened?!” Adolpha hissed.

Jin hesitated.

“You know? I’m not quite sure.”

Jin jogged to catch up with the two, leaving Adolpha to look around the room for a moment before she started to pick up the pieces of Romy’s broken weapon. Just in case she ended up wanting it back…

After all, it  _ was _ Adolpha’s fault it was broken…

At the same time, Romy suddenly realized something.

The entire time she had been fighting Adolpha, she hadn’t thought about her, in a romantic way that is, once.

Was she finally over her?!

Romy took a moment, considering.

She tried to think about the way she used to see Adolpha, and suddenly it seemed foreign and distant.

She was over Adolpha!

She grinned to herself, relaxing in Saffron’s arms and glancing between her and Jin.

Romy was over Adolpha, and it was all because of Jin and Saffron’s help.


	72. The Avatar

Rosemary held the remote in front of her invitingly.

“Eh? Come on, you know you want to!”

“I really don’t.”

“Don’t lie to my face like that, Saff! Just sit down!”

“I’m not watching it for the sixth time with you!”

“This is  _ not _ the sixth time.”

“You’re right. Now that I’m thinking about it, we watched it before school started, which makes this the seventh.”

“Listen, numbers are just semantics.”

“Semantics are details that are important to remember,” Saffron said, trying to back out of the room without her sister noticing.

Rosemary’s eyes narrowed.

“Sit down.”

“This is torture.”

“Stop being so damn dramatic. It’s just one show. Three seasons!”

“But we always have to watch the  _ second series afterwards, _ and then there’s the books, and you won’t shut up about those because you think Kyoshi’s hot-”

Rosemary flushed and threw a pillow at her.

“Shut up! Besides, what else would you be doing? Trying to figure out a weapon? Come on, you’ve been thinking about that for  _ months _ ! Who knows, maybe this’ll give you an idea!”

Rosemary took a step forward and blindly turned on the television, revealing that Avatar the Last Airbender was already set up.

Saffron glanced at the screen for a moment before she groaned.

“We  _ really _ should go to class, Rose.”

“But we’re going to watch this instead. Now have a seat and stop complaining.”

Saffron groaned and flopped down onto the couch. Rosemary grinned in excitement and hopped over to get their snacks before she took a seat beside her sister, watching the television with intensity.

Saffron heard the opening sequence start, and she bobbed her head along to the words, though she knew better than to say it with the show, for fear that her sister would smack her before she finished for interrupting.

“Water. Earth. Fire. Air. My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days, a time of peace when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads-”

Saffron was watching the movements on the screen, and suddenly she shot up, eyes wide.

“Oh my Dust,” she muttered.

Rosemary aggressively shushed her.

Saffron vaulted over the back of the couch and ran over to riffle through her possessions until she found what she was looking for. She grabbed large amounts of Dust before she dashed out of the room.

“HEY!” Rosemary cried, pausing the show and glaring at her sister’s retreating form. “Get back here!”

Saffron burst into the team JARR dorm room.

Aella cried out and fell out of her hammock. She would have hit the ground if not for her semblance saving her.

“What are you doing?!” Romy snapped. “Team JARR only. Don’t make me kick you out.”

Saffron ignored the taunt and leapt into the air, grabbing onto Aella’s hammock and pulling herself up. She might not have a good weapon, or a good handle on her semblance either, but at least she made sure to hit the gym whenever she could. She vaulted onto Aella’s hammock and rummaged through her things until she found the duct tape.

“Hey! What are you doin-”

Saffron ignored Aella as she leapt to the ground, rolling to her feet.

Jin had been watching her with silent disbelief, and Saffron smirked, tilting her sunglasses down with one hand and giving her a wink before she raced out of the room.

She stopped in front of team LAAC’s dorm room door and threw it open, hurrying inside.

“What are you doing?” Auburn asked, frowning in confusion.

“Hey!” Crystal shrieked as Saffron started to go through her stuff. “What are you doing?!”

“Getting Dust. I’m out of Water.”

“Why do you need Dust?” Adolpha asked, frowning.

Saffron flinched.

“It’s my semblance, remember?” she asked, finally grinning when she grabbed the Water Dust and dashed back out of the room.

“Oh yeah, I forgot,” Lavey said, shrugging.

Saffron tried not to let that get to her, focusing on her current plan.

She burst into the team RSCC dorm room. Saffron was grinning in excitement.

Rosemary glared at Saffron with a betrayed look on her face.

“What the heck are you doing?!”

Saffron tossed the Dust toward her sister, using a bit of her semblance to make sure it landed in her lap. She’d been working on that some, getting better. She hadn’t even realized she could do that until recently, and she was very proud of herself for that. She’d recently discovered that her semblance could actually do a  _ lot _ of things she hadn’t thought about before.

Saffron had even been able to track her sister with Dust when she was in the forest.

Saffron then tilted her head back, closing her eyes, and held out her arms to her side.

“Tape me.”

“What?!”

“Tape them to me! Hurry up!”

Fifteen minutes later, one of four different types of Dust had been taped to Saffron’s arms and legs by a grumbling Rosemary, who kept complaining about wanting to start watching the show.

When they were done, Saffron was grinning in excitement.

“Start it! From the beginning!”

Rosemary hesitated.

“W-the show?! Aren’t you going to tell me why you did this?! I mean I put all this work into it and you just-”

“Shut up and start the show, Rose!” Saffron snapped.

“Fine!” Rosemary cried, restarting the show.

As the people on screen started to move and showcase their bending abilities, Saffron did the same thing in time, using the four types of Dust she had taped to her (Water, Ground, Fire, and Wind) to do the same motions.

Rosemary stared at her for a moment before she gasped, covering her mouth with both hands.

“Oh my Dust,” she whispered to herself. “You’re-”

“I’m the Avatar!” Saffron cried at full volume.

“Yes!” Rosemary screamed, hopping to her feet and racing over to her sister. “You’re the Avatar! Oh, I’ve never been prouder to have you as my sister!”

Saffron grinned in excitement, moving her hands around.

“You know… this was supposed to be a joke, but… I think I like having the Dust here. I mean, when I try to put it in weapons, it just feels… clunky. But…”

She looked up at her sister, and Rosemary’s eyes widened.

“Gauntlets!” Saffron cried out.

“Gloves!” Rosemary said at the same time.

Saffron hesitated.

“Did… did you just say  _ gauntlets _ ?! What?! Those aren’t fashionable. Besides, those are weapons. You want gloves. You know, like an extension of yourself. That way, you don’t have to take them off.”

Saffron thought about it.

She wouldn’t have to take them off? She could… she could have her weapon on at all times. She’d always have something to protect her, and she had a feeling that this weapon might actually work for once.

She looked back at Rosemary, glad her sunglasses were on to cover the expression she had.

“Yeah… you know what? I think you’re right. I want gloves. A-and I can have boots too! Combat boots! Maybe a belt! Or everything could be made of Dust!”

Rosemary hesitated.

“Everything? I don’t k-”

Saffron turned to her excitedly, the quick movement causing her sunglasses to shift a bit so that her sister could see her eyes.

“I won’t have to take them off! It’ll be like I always had them! Come on, let’s go!”

Saffron grabbed her sister’s hand and tugged her out of the room quickly, an excited grin on her face.

For a moment, Rosemary wondered if she had made a mistake. Should she not have mentioned not taking them off? She quickly dismissed the worry. It’s not like Saffron would really keep her weapons on constantly.

The rest of the afternoon, the pair worked on perfecting her weapon design.

-

Coco heard her scroll buzz, and she groaned. She was about to go to bed with Velvet, but she supposed that she might as well see who it was.

When she saw Rosemary’s name on her scroll, she immediately picked up, her frustration forgotten.

“Rose? Hey! It’s go-”

“Mom! Saffron’s the Avatar!” Rosemary cried.

“I AM THE AVATAR!” Saffron called in the background so loudly that Coco almost pulled the scroll away from her ear.

“What? Like the show? What do you me-”

“Sorry, mom, gotta go!” Rosemary cried. “Saffron just set the curtains on fire!”

“I FIREBENDED them on fire!” Saffron called from the distance.

Rosemary hung up, and Coco blinked in confusion, rubbing at her temple.

“Babe? What was it?” Velvet called.

“I… I don’t know.”

Coco wondered who she should be more worried about; Rosemary or Saffron.


	73. Cards

“A new weapon? What exactly do you mean by  _ new _ ? We already have the pieces of my last one-”

“I  _ just _ told you that that one was going to get you killed, keep up, Romy,” Saffron said, waving her hand dismissively. “We don’t need the junk pieces of junk, we’re better than that.”

Romy wanted to argue, but she knew that she couldn’t. It hadn’t been the best weapon idea, but she’d been running low on time until she had to pick one, and she hadn’t wanted to end up like Saffron without one…

The thought made her wince.

She hadn’t been too nice to Saffron when they were younger, but who had?

“Can you at least put me down?” Romy asked.

Saffron looked like she was considering for a moment.

“No.”

“Then can you tell me where we’re going?”

“Who is the only person you know that has an unhealthy obsession with weapons, cries over them, and literally never moved on from any?”

Jin raised an eyebrow, glancing at Saffron and starting to open her mouth.

“Other than me, that is,” Saffron said.

Jin hesitated.

“Come on, you of all people should know this.”

“Aella?”

“Wh-well, I mean, I guess, but not her.”

“Uh… Oh! Oh, Ruby!”

“Yes! Ding, ding, ding! You get the prize!” Saffron said sarcastically.

Jin rolled her eyes.

“I guess she would be the best place to go for weapons, if you don’t need a bunch of Dust.”

Saffron stopped walking, and she bent over as she laughed.

Romy found Saffron’s face right in front of hers, and she found that she couldn’t help but smile back at her, a slightly shy expression on her face.

“Oh, we’re going to need Dust! After all, it’s not a weapon if it isn’t filled with a shit-ton of Dust.”

“That’s not tr-”

“Just trust me, it is,” Saffron said dismissively, waving her hand and throwing the doors to Ruby and Penny’s classroom open.

Ruby jumped and looked up, eyes wide as she looked at the intruders.

“What are you… Jin?” her face lit up. “Hey, Jin! How have you been? What are you up to? Is there something that you need?”

Jin gave her a small smile, glancing at Romy and Saffron.

“Wait, is Romy hurt?” Ruby asked, frowning.

“What? No, that’s just how Saffron carries her around,” Jin said. “And I’m alright. We’re about to go make a new weapon.”

Ruby grinned in excitement.

“A weapon?! Oh, do you need help? What’s it going to be based on? Whose is it? Are you going to use Dust? What kind?”

“Yes, no, cards, Romy’s, of course, and yes again,” Saffron said, waving her hand dismissively.

Ruby took a moment, frowning as she tried to put the answers in order with the questions, clearly struggling.

“Wait… wait cards?” Ruby asked.

“Yeah, what was that about cards?” Romy asked, squirming in her grasp to stare at her in confusion.

“We’re using cards. You’re good with those, so of course we’re using them,” Saffron said, acting as if it was no big deal. “You’ve heard Ruby say it before; the best weapon is something that you’re comfortable with.”

“I-I did say that, but… cards? Like playing cards? Business cards? What kind of cards?”

Saffron shifted Romy and gently set her on the ground, reaching into her pocket and pulling out four packs of cards.

“These kinds of cards.”

“Are those my playing cards?!” Romy cried. “I’ve been looking for them.”

“I know, that’s why I took them,” Saffron said, shrugging. Romy gaped at her. “But there’s your three,” she gestured at three packs, “and one more that I bought. You know, so that it could be even.”

“Even?” Jin asked, frowning.

“Don’t worry about it,” Saffron said.

“I’m worrying about it!” Jin cried.

“Me too,” Romy muttered, rolling her eyes.

“That’s why I said not to! Anyways, Mrs. Belladonna-Schnee, we’re going to need to use some of the school’s weapon equipment.”

Ruby stumbled for a moment.

“W-well, I suppose that you’re free to use it, considering it’s school property, but… playing cards? How are those going to be an efficient weapon?”

Saffron used her semblance to tilt her sunglasses down.

“Ilesha used a weapon that should never have been invented and almost won the Vytal Tournament by tazing people. This is  _ nothing _ compared to that.”

Saffron then turned on her heel, grabbing Romy by the hand, and dragged her to the side room, where Ruby kept all of her equipment.

Ruby lingered for a moment before she sighed and walked out with her head hung. It really was a shame that she couldn’t help. If anyone in the world could make cards deadly, it would be her, right?

Meanwhile, Jin put her hand on Saffron’s shoulder.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Jin asked.

Saffron glanced at Romy, who tried to pretend she hadn’t been watching the exchange.

“How about you get started, and I’ll be there in a second?”

Saffron started to shut the door.

“Wait, what are we do-”

“Great.”

Saffron closed the door fully and turned to face Jin, raising an eyebrow.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?” Saffron replied.

Jin held in a sigh of frustration.

“Making a new weapon with her. Just help her remake her old one. It was…,” Jin hesitated, “fine.”

“Was it? Was it  _ really _ fine?” Saffron asked. Jin started to answer, and Saffron held up a finger. “The correct answer is no, no it was not.”

“But why are you helping her, then?” Jin asked, eyes narrowing. “Is it because I told you to be nice to her? You know that she’s been doing better, you don’t have to keep up the charade.”

Saffron hesitated.

“Maybe I just wanted to help, ever think of that?”

Jin scoffed.

“You’re not the type of person to help someone if it doesn’t help you.”

“I’m literally training to become a Huntress. It’s in the job description,” Saffron said dryly.

“Let me rephrase; you don’t help people you don’t like.”

Saffron shrugged, looking away from Jin.

“Well… maybe I grew a little fond of the gremlin. That’s not a crime, Jin.”

Jin grinned and gave Saffron a look that seemed to say “told you so.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Saffron rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. “Whatever. Besides, she needs a distance weapon if she isn’t going to get herself  _ killed _ .”

“What?” Jin asked, frowning.

“Jin, I can pick her up  _ so easily. _ It’s like a milk jug. It’s like picking up a cat! You could  _ drop kick _ her! Think about what a Grimm could do!” Saffron hissed.

Jin’s eyes widened.

“Dust, I didn’t even think of that,” she muttered.

“Yeah! Clearly!” Saffron replied. “Now come on.”

Saffron grabbed Jin by the hand and dragged her into the room with Romy.

“Alright!” Saffron grinned like nothing had happened. “Who’s ready to get started on the new second best weapon in Beacon?! I mean, obviously it’s not first, that’s still mine, but it can be second. And with me working on it?  _ Definitely _ second.”

Jin scoffed, rolling her eyes, and Romy tried to look equally frustrated, but it was difficult.

Despite Saffron having closed the door, she could still hear the conversation.

Earlier, Romy had considered telling Saffron that she really didn’t want a new weapon. In fact, she had a backup of her old one at her house that she could swing by and pick up, or she could even have one of her moms bring it to school, but now, after hearing that…

Romy flushed as Saffron grinned at her, not saying anything as Saffron started to get to work, talking about cards and Dust and, for some reason, pistols.


	74. Of Wind and Shadows

Adolpha yawned, stretching her arms lazily, her ears twitching as she slowly awoke. She hadn’t set an alarm this morning, and it was a nice relief to not wake up to sounds overwhelming her.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she was immediately bombarded with images that she couldn’t comprehend.

She groaned, immediately shutting her eyes.

_ Maybe if I go to sleep… I’ll wake up, and this will have all been a dream. Because I am  _ **_not_ ** _ seeing ghosts. Nope. Definitely not. _

Adolpha laid in bed for a minute, convincing herself that she had, in fact, not seen any illusions or phantoms or ghosts or wayward spirits that were coming to claim the souls of her and her sisters.

She opened her eyes, and she groaned again.

Nope. Not a dream.

All of that denial for nothing, she supposed.

She pushed herself to a sitting position, squinting as she took in the room, trying to figure out what she was seeing.

As Aella moved in her hammock, the thing gently swaying back and forth as she moved in her sleep. Around her, Adolpha could see phantom images of the hammock, different ways that it could move back and forth. A moment later, the hammock swung to the side, merging with the gray shadow and causing the others to disappear without a trace.

Adolpha’s ears twitched and she glanced around the room. Jin was laying very still, and there were fewer images around her at the moment, though one did show her waking up and looking around. This image was more solid than the others around Jin, and Adolpha tried to figure out why. The image that had been most solid earlier had been the swinging motion that Aella’s hammock had melted into.

Suddenly, another image appeared to the side, and Adolpha jumped in shock.

A familiar gray head stuck out of the vents, and Adolpha made a sound of shock as soon as Lavey’s actual head followed the image.

Jin darted up in bed at the noise, her body melding with the dark shadow that Adolpha had seen a moment before.

“What?” Jin asked tiredly. “What’s going on?”

“Chill, Dolph, I do it all the time,” Lavey said, rolling her eyes as she expertly lowered herself from the ventilation system.

“Are you alright, Dolph?” Jin asked worriedly, pushing herself off the bed and coming over to sit beside Adolpha. “Is it your ears?” she whispered.

Adolpha shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to block out the images.

In the moments it had taken for Jin to walk over, she had seen no less than half a dozen images appear, only to disappear a moment later when Jin had melded into a different one.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright,” Jin said gently, reaching out and wrapping her arms around her sister. She pulled her closer, setting her chin on Adolpha’s head. “What’s going on?”

“I-I don’t know,” Adolpha muttered, pulling closer. “Something’s… something’s wrong. Can you not see them?”

“See what?” Jin questioned softly.

Adolpha opened her eyes, and she saw that Lavey was standing in front of her. But not just Lavey. There were dozens upon  _ dozens _ of images and phantoms around her, doing a myriad of different things around her.

Adolpha didn’t respond, and Jin grabbed her tighter, standing up and hurrying out of the room.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to get our parents, come on.”

Jin kicked the door to their mothers’ room open and hurried over, putting Adolpha on the bed.

“Moms, we need some help. Something’s wrong with Adolpha,” Jin said.

Apparently, as she set Adolpha on the bed, she must have hit Weiss, who cried out, shooting awake blearily.

“W-what’s going on?” Weiss asked, rubbing at her eyes as she looked down at her oldest daughter.

“I don’t know.”

“Hold on, I need to,” Weiss yawned, “get some coffee.”

“This is important,” Ruby said quickly, rolling over and putting her hand on Adolpha’s arm gently.

“If it’s important, then it’s important that I’m awake for all of it, isn’t it?” Weiss asked, though she didn’t move to get up, instead scooting closer to her daughter with a worried expression on her face.

“What’s going on?” Blake asked, directing her question to Jin.

“Well, she talked about seeing things, but I’m not sure  _ what, _ and it seems like she’s getting overwhelmed by them, kind of like her ears.”

“They’re… phantoms. Images? I’m… I’m not quite sure what they are,” Adolpha said. “They’re… everywhere.”

She shivered and shook her head.

“A Semblance?” Yang muttered. “Already?”

Jin’s eyes widened.

Her sister was only eleven, and that was rather young for a Semblance that you weren’t born with.

“Are you… seeing the future?” Weiss asked gently.

“Maybe?” Adolpha squinted at them. “It’s… a future? But there’s… there’s so many of them.”

It was at that moment that all of her parents knew that Adolpha was screwed.

-

Aella opened her eyes as she started to fall, letting out a cry of shock and trying to curl into a ball. She had fallen off of her hammock, apparently, and she realized that, perhaps, her parents and (all but one of) her siblings had been right about not having a hammock for a bed that hovered several feet off the ground.

A moment before she could hit the floor, a gust of wind picked up and caught her.

Aella slowly opened her eyes, a look of complete shock on her face as she saw a vortex of wind underneath her.

“What the…”

Aella reached one hand down tentatively, letting it touch the wind. It picked up immediately, and Aella cried out in shock as she shot toward the door.

She braced for impact, but the wind picked up again and hit the door, slamming it open and carrying her out of her room.

Aella fumbled for what to do for a moment before she let her gliders shoot out. It stabilized her a bit, and she found herself hesitantly smiling.

_ I’m flying… I’M FLYING! _ Aella thought, letting out a laugh.

Immediately, the wind around her picked up and she let herself roll in midair.

She let out a whoop of excitement as she flew through the kitchen.

Weiss turned as a loud noise erupted behind her. It sounded like one of her children, but this early in the morning she couldn’t tell who. When she turned to see what had happened, her eyes widened in disbelief as Aella shot through the kitchen, about five feet off the ground, and swept through the door.

Weiss glanced behind her at the coffee machine, then looked back at where she had seen her daughter.

She considered for a moment before she sighed.

She decided that she needed more coffee if she was already seeing things.

Aella laughed again, letting the air that soared past her face.

She wasn’t exactly sure  _ how _ she was flying, but it was  _ incredible _ !

This must have to do with her Semblance, whatever it was!

Aella was shocked that she was the second person out of the seven that had gotten her Semblance. Adolpha had discovered her about a month ago, and now Aella was getting a chance with hers!

In her excitement, she didn’t notice that she was hurtling right toward the ceiling fan until she was an inch away.

Aella cried out and ducked down, not noticing that the wind around her caused her to go soaring down.

Aella opened her eyes and looked back, grinning when she saw that she hadn’t hit the fan, though it was a little odd that it was spinning.

_ Is the fan broken? Is it part of the circuits or maybe a faulty- _

Before Aella could finish her thought, she hit the wall with full force, knocking over a picture and hitting the ground with a loud  **thump** .

She laid on the floor in a dazed state for a moment, staring at the ceiling, her thoughts scattered.

What had she been thinking about? Maybe the fan? That made sense, it was broken, right?

Just then, Yang and Blake walked into the living room, their gazes zeroing in on Aella, who was still laying on the ground in a daze.

“What… did… did you just climb the wall?!” Yang cried.

Both of them skidded to a stop next to Aella, kneeling down next to her.

“What?” Aella asked dazedly. “Why?”

“Because the picture is on the ground beside you, and that was like six feet off the ground. I made it that high so that you couldn’t reach it!”

“I didn’t climb the wall,” Aella said, shrugging idly as she dazedly pushed herself to her feet, stumbling a bit as she looked around.

She saw that the picture frame was on the ground, broken.

“Hmm… I could probably fix this pretty quickly,” Aella said consideringly, crouching down next to it.

“How did you get up there?” Blake demanded, trying to remind her daughter what they were talking about.

Aella paused for a second, but she didn’t look away from the broken picture frame.

“Uh, I was in the air. Flying, maybe? I dunno. Momma Yang, do you have a screwdriver?”

“What? No. How were you-”

“What kinda woman doesn’t have a screwdriver?” Aella muttered. “I’d have mine, but it’s in my cloak, and that fell off somewhere in the hallway…”

Aella shrugged and got back to work, piling all the broken glass together.

“Aella, can you please focus?” Yang asked, sounding almost pleading as she knelt down next to her daughter.

“I would, but you don’t have a screwdriver, so I’m going to have to track down my cloak.”

“Not on that!” Blake cried, throwing up her hands. “How were you flying?”

“Semblance or something,” Aella said, waving her hand dismissively. “Anyways, wh-”

Weiss walked into the room, looking around for a moment as she considered.

Aella was on the ground, a picture frame smashed beside her, and two of Weiss’ wives were on the ground trying to make her focus on telling her the story of how this had happened.

Weiss sighed.

Apparently, she  _ hadn’t _ been hallucinating when she saw her fly through the kitchen.

Welp.

Weiss downed her coffee quickly, a skill she had picked up after eleven years of being a mother, and then set the mug on the floor before stalking over to Aella.

She crouched down, pushing both of her wives out of the way, and put both of her hands on Aella’s shoulders.

“Aella, focus,” she said forcefully.

Aella jumped, eyes going wide as if she was wondering when her mother had gotten there.

“On?” Aella asked hesitantly.

“How you flew,” Blake supplied.

“Oh! Semblance.”

“Yes, but what  _ was _ your Semblance?” Weiss demanded.

“Uh… flight?” Aella asked, as if she was expecting her mothers to know the answer.

“Are you sure?” Yang asked hesitantly.

“I dunno. I flew. Could it be something else?” Aella asked, shrugging.

“So many things,” Blake said sufferingly. “It could be so,  _ so _ many things.”

“Well, let’s figure it out! But, uh… after I fix the frame,” Aella said.

“No!” all three of them cried out as one.

“Why not?” Aella asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

“Because this is more important than some picture frame!” Weiss snapped.

“Speaking of, we should probably wake up Ruby so she doesn’t miss this,” Blake said.

Yang took off to get her sister, dragging her, half asleep, out of the room a few moments later.

“What’s going on?” Ruby asked tiredly.

“Semblance stuff,” Yang said.

Ruby perked up immediately, grinning at her daughter excitedly, her tiredness forgotten.

“Okay… can you try to show us what you did again?” Blake asked gently.

“Uh… I guess?” Aella said, shrugging. “I don’t know how it happened exactly.”

Aella focused for a moment before she started to levitate off the ground. All of her mothers watched her in absolute shock.

Aella started to laugh again, an excited grin on her face as she pushed off the ground further and flew around the room.

Blake, for a moment, thought that it was really flight, even as Aella extended her gliders to make herself more steady, before she felt the wind hit her hair.

_ Oh no, _ Blake thought.

“It’s wind,” Blake whispered. “She’s not flying, it’s wind. She’s manipulating the wind.”

“What?” Ruby asked, frowning.

Blake dashed out of the room, coming back with a pinwheel a few moments later and holding it up.

“Aella!” she called.

Shocked by the loud noise, Aella let out a cry and tumbled toward the ground, straightening herself just a moment before she hit the floor full force.

She stumbled as she landed, but at least she didn’t fall on her face, she supposed.

“Yeah?” Aella asked, frowning. “What’s up?”

Blake held up the pinwheel.

“Can you make this spin?”

“I mean, I could hit it, or maybe blow on it-”

“No, I mean with your Semblance,” Blake corrected.

Aella considered for a moment before she stared intently at the pinwheel.

The wind in the room inexplicably picked up, spinning the pinwheel at top speed before it suddenly hit Blake. She strengthened her stance before her daughter picked up the wind even more, focusing.

“Aella, sto-”

Before Blake could finish her sentence, the wind hit her and she was sent flying back by the wind, hitting the wall with a  **thump** .

Blake groaned as the wind stopped, letting her fall to the ground.

All three of her wives, plus Aella, raced toward her at full speed to check on her.

“Are you okay?!”

“Well,” Blake grunted as she pushed herself to her feet, “at least we know that she has a wind Semblance.”


	75. A Moment

Romy was leaning against the counter where the weapon materials were sitting in front of them.

“So, what are we making?” Romy asked. “And how does it involve cards?”

Saffron put one hand on the table, Romy glancing over at her arm for a moment before she was distracted. Saffron put her other hand on Romy’s other side, leaning forward so that she was looming over Romy as she looked down.

Romy glanced up at her, her face flushing as she saw Saffron’s sunglasses unintentionally slip down her face as she concentrated, revealing her brown eyes.

_ Dust, how did I not realize her eyes were that pretty before? _ Romy thought. She’d grown up with this girl for her whole life, had spent so many holidays and family get togethers with her, but somehow she’d never realized that fact, along with several others.

“Oh, we’re going to be making a  _ lot _ of weaponry, and it  **will** involve cards,” Saffron said, smirking down at her.

_ And… I hadn’t noticed  _ **_that_ ** _ before, either. Dust, how many things have I not noticed about her before? _

Romy watched Saffron as she leaned closer, examining the weapons with an excited glint to her eyes.

As she stared at the other girl, she found that she wanted to know everything she had missed before when they were younger. All of the things she had ignored.

What was it with Romy and missing the best traits from the best people?

First Adolpha, and now Saffron.

She had known Saffron for seventeen years now, but she felt like she’d only truly known her for a few months.

And in those past few months… Romy had come to find that she liked a  _ lot _ of those traits that Saffron had, but she hadn’t even noticed them before.

“Were you even listening?” Saffron asked, raising an eyebrow playfully.

Romy flushed deeply, looking away from Saffron hurriedly and toward the table.

“No, sorry, I got distracted.”

“By the view? Can’t blame you,” Saffron said, smirking.

Romy blushed deeper at the words, glancing down and subconsciously fiddling with her hands.

Suddenly, Saffron reached one hand over and put it on top of Romy’s.

“Hey, calm down, it’s just a new weapon, and I’ve been thinking about it for a while, so I’ve got a lot of ideas.”

Romy blushed deeper.

“You’ve been thinking about it for a while?”

“Yeah, of course! Can’t have my favorite little gremlin getting hurt on the battlefield,” Saffron said, reaching one hand up and ruffling her hair with a wry grin.

Romy smiled and looked down shyly, leaning forward to look at the weapon and trying to focus on it.

She wasn’t quite sure what had happened.

“How about you show me what you can do with cards, huh?” Saffron asked, passing over a deck.

Romy hesitated for a moment before Saffron stepped back, giving her room.

Romy immediately missed the warmth, but she took a moment before she decided what she wanted to do.

She bent the card a little before she threw it, letting it fly around the room before it landed right in her hand easily.

After a moment, she shuffled quickly, letting the cards fly from one to the other as if on their own accord.

Then, she fanned the entire deck out in front of her, flicking through them and then tossing one at Saffron.

She jumped and tried to catch it before it came back to Romy.

Romy shuffled the deck and then opened it, letting the slide into place with ease.

“See? Already looks deadly. Now we just need to make them go ninety miles per hour and explode on impact,” Saffron said, shrugging.

Romy hesitated.

“What?”

“You know, like a real weapon,” Saffron replied.

“How are you going to make them explode?” Romy asked slowly. “And go ninety miles per hour, I guess.”

“Isn’t it obvious? The same way everyone in this world does; Dust!”

Romy hesitated.

“We’re going to use Dust?”

“Well, yeah, of course.”

Romy smiled shyly, looking down for a moment. She was going to add Dust to her weapon. Saffron wanted to protect her, wanted her to have an equivalent of her gloves, but with her Semblance limitations.

Saffron set a hand on Romy’s shoulder and gave her a small, gentle smile on her face before she took the cards away.

“Jin, knife!” Saffron called.

“What?” Jin asked, jumping. Clearly she’d been distracted by something.

“I need a knife,” Saffron said, glancing over her shoulder at Jin and giving her a smirk.

“Oh, uh…,” Jin looked around, as if she was just now remembering that they were in a room filled with weapons.

Saffron held out her hand and Jin set the handle of the knife in it.

Saffron then rummaged in her pocket to grab a piece of Dust, which she promptly crushed and slathered over the knife, ignoring when the small explosion went off.

Romy was sent stumbling back, falling to the ground and hitting it, putting both of her hands on the ground to steady herself as she looked up at Saffron.

Saffron had Dust surrounding her in the air, making her look like she was standing in an ethereal glow that lit up her face.

Saffron glanced up and saw her, sunglasses falling down her face a bit on accident to show her eyes better.

_ Dust, _ Romy didn’t know if she was cursing or recognizing all of it in the room,  _ she’s perfect. _

How had Romy never realized that she was not just  _ beautiful _ (like, Dust, the Brothers really had broken the mold when they’d made her), but she was also kind and caring, willing to help those that were in trouble…

She had been there for Romy in the darkest part of her life, and now, she was lighting it up.

Saffron took her sunglasses off with her Semblance to see better through the haze of Dust.

“You alright?” Saffron asked, running one glove through her hair for a moment before shaking it out.

“Y-yeah,” Romy stuttered, blushing deeply as she sat on the ground.

“You need some help up?” Saffron asked.

Saffron was about to hold out her gloved hand before she glanced at it, realizing that she had a ton of Dust particles on it.

After a moment, she took off the Dust and held out her hand gently.

The moment Romy’s shaking hand took it, she knew that she was screwed.

Because somehow, in the midst of everything that had been happening, her getting over Adolpha, reconciling with her sister, and just… pandemonium… she had, along the way, fallen for Saffron.

Saffron hesitated when Romy held her hand for a moment longer than necessary, but just gave her a wry grin before pulling away, her glove sliding back on.

Then, Saffron turned and grabbed the knife she had slathered the Dust on.

She then held it in the air just a few inches above the card deck.

Suddenly, the knife shot down and cut a thin line into the cards before rotating in a slow, even circle, cutting out a bit before she set them down.

“W-what did you do that for?” Romy asked. She could hardly think, and she guessed she would call herself running on low power mode.

After all, almost all of her processing power was trying to figure out how and when she had gotten a crush on Saffron. How? When had she fallen for the annoying giant that insisted on carrying her everywhere?

Meanwhile, Saffron was grinning at her, sending her a wink before she started to spread out the cards.

“I needed a little cleaned out space for Dust,” Saffron said, shrugging as if it seemed natural.

Romy flushed and stared down at the cards, trying to distract herself from the internal panic that was going on.

Then, Saffron started to put pieces of Dust in each of the cards, lining them with metal that Romy was sure would draw blood if you touched them.

She tried to distract herself by watching Saffron as she darted across the room, grabbing different pieces from different guns.

“Now, I know that this might not quite fit your color scheme, and I know that fashion is important, but…,” Saffron twisted a piece of the weapon together and held it up, “this is the only type of gun I could find on this short notice that could work, and I don’t feel like painting. So, here you go!”

Saffron set down a sniper rifle on the table, showing off the stone blue and yellow.

“So… it’s a sniper card shooter?” Jin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Saffron scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“Of course not!” Saffron replied.

“Then… what is it?”

“It’s that, but so much more. I’ve been tinkering with some new types of Dust,” Saffron reached into her pocket and set down a small piece of Dust that Romy didn’t recognize the color of. At least, she’d never seen Dust this color, and it was odd to see pink Dust.

“What’s that?” Romy asked, pushing thoughts of Saffron out of her mind…

By talking to Saffron? It didn’t make sense, but give her a break. She was having a moment.

“It’s… Magnet Dust, I guess,” Saffron said, shrugging. “I was tinkering around with Gravity and Electricity, and got this. Don’t know how, don’t care, I’ve got some of it.”

“What does it do?” Jin asked, leaning closer.

“It pulls Dust to it,” Saffron said, clearly distracted. “You just have to hook some up to it, connect them, and then  _ boom _ ! You’ve got reusable cards that blow up in people’s faces without having to play fifty-two card pickup afterwards.”

Romy watched her work, eyes every once in a while being drawn up to Saffron, as if her face had a magnet-quality of its own.

“Are you alright, Romy?” Jin asked, frowning a bit as she glanced at her, seeing that her gaze was locked on Saffron.

Romy flushed and looked away quickly.

“Y-yeah, of course I am. Just zoned out a little, that’s all.”

Saffron huffed.

“Zoned out? I’m making you a weapon here! Get over here!”

Jin went to object for a moment, but Saffron didn’t seem to notice, her glove shooting off her hand and grabbing Romy, pulling her over and grabbing her around the waist as her glove slid back into place, the latch locking with a familiar click.

“Come on, this is a  _ group _ thing, not an individual,” Saffron said.

Her arms were wrapped around Romy’s sides, yet again, and she found it difficult to pay attention to anything she said.

“Isn’t weapon making  _ supposed _ to be an individual thing?” Jin asked, leaning on the table and watching the two of them.

“If Romy was supposed to be alone, we wouldn’t be here, now would we?” Saffron asked, smirking at Jin. “Now either start helping or start shutting up, we’re making a weapon of mass destruction here!”


	76. Pick Ups

Romy was curled up in bed, snoozing gently.

Jin and Saffron had both already gotten up, and they both glanced at their sleeping companion.

The two considered for a moment before Saffron walked over and unceremoniously grabbed Romy around the waist, picking her up and putting her on her feet.

Romy swayed for a moment before her eyes started to flutter open.

Saffron walked off as soon as she was sure she wasn’t going to tumble over, and Romy looked around, eyes wide when she realized that she was standing.

What… when had…

“Huh?” Romy said aloud, rubbing at her eyes before she glanced back at her bed.

How had she woken up standing?

“Are you coming, Romy?” Saffron asked, glancing over at her and raising an eyebrow in question.

“Wh… yeah, just…,” Romy glanced back over her shoulder at the bed again.

She hadn’t stood up on her own.

Had… had Jin or Saffron picked her up?

The small smirk on Saffron’s face seemed to suggest that, yes, she had, and the two had just walked off.

Romy was starting to get frustrated by her friends… or, well, her friend and  _ Saffron _ doing that sort of thing, considering they’d been doing it ever since they had started to comfort her after Adolpha.

But that had started when Saffron had been a neutral force in Romy’s life, a perhaps a family friend that she saw in the peripheral of her existence, when Romy hadn’t seen her as anything but temporary comfort after everything that had happened.

But after that, things had… well, they’d done what all things did.

They’d changed.

She had started to see Saffron as a close friend, and, eventually… something else had shifted, and now…

Well, let’s just say, Romy didn’t want her to pick her up anymore. Not if it meant that, to Saffron, nothing had changed over these past few months.

She took a deep breath, running a hand through her hair, before she shook her head and started to get ready.

-

Saffron let out a laugh, grinning as she leaned back in her seat. She, Romy, and Jin had decided to eat outside for lunch today.

Romy hated to admit it, but she had gotten rather distracted from the time and even from eating as Saffron recounted a story of her latest sparring session, where she had helped her mother out by taking out a team of pompous idiots.

Saffron had been talking avidly, waving her hands around excitedly as she talked. Romy, for a moment, wondered if Saffron would ever think about taking off her gloves at lunch. She did it most nights before they fell asleep lately, Romy knew because Saffron still insisted that she share a bed with her and Jin just in case something went wrong. Saffron had even done a few fights without her gloves recently, though her hands still shook every time after she took them off. She had taken to grabbing onto Jin and Romy’s hands or holding them when she was gloveless, which had made Romy panic last night.

It had been the first one after she had realized… just exactly how she felt about Saffron.

Jin seemed a bit distracted too, though Romy didn’t know what, but she shook her head and glanced at her scroll, eyes growing wide with fear.

“Oh Dust,” Jin muttered, “we’re going to be late.”

Saffron glanced over at Jin, raising an eyebrow.

“So?”

“The whole team is counted late if one member is!” Jin cried.

It wasn’t really a shock that Saffron didn’t seem to care about being late, but Romy jumped to her feet.

She couldn’t be late, not when Jin was counting on their team to be on time whenever they could, especially considering she had missed a few days after calling in “sick” when the teachers had been mad at her.

Jin suddenly reached out and grabbed onto Romy’s waist, holding her in a bridal carry before she started to sprint off.

Saffron rolled her eyes at the pair before she took off after them, a small smirk on her face.

Romy squirmed a bit in Jin’s grasp, but they were in class before she could have ever freed herself.

-

Romy was walking down the hallway calmly, conversing silently via telepathy with her sister. The two of them had been doing that a lot more lately, and she was glad to have her sister back.

_ So you’re officially over your crush on my girlfriend? _ Romelle asked, raising an eyebrow as she glanced at her twin.

Romy rolled her eyes.

_ Yeah, I’m over her. _

_ How do you know? _ Romelle asked. She clearly knew  _ something, _ but Romy wasn’t sure what.

Romy flushed.

Romelle smirked and moved closer to her sister.

_ Ooooh! A new crush? You move on  _ **_fast_ ** _ , don’t you? Who is it? _

Romy blushed deeper.

_ No I don’t! _

_ Yeah, yeah, who is it? _

Romy looked away.

_ Fine, fine, let me guess… Jin? _

Romy’s eyes darted to her sister.

_ What?! No, Saffron! _

_ Ahha! _

_ You didn’t solve anything, Romelle, I told you. _

_ Because I tricked you! _

Before Romy could respond, a figure rounded the corner and sprinted toward them.

Romy’s eyes widened in disbelief and she flushed deeply as Saffron neared them.

_ Ah, and here’s your ride. _

_ She’s not- _

Saffron grabbed Romy around the waist and carried her bridal style, holding her gently as she hurtled down the hallway at full speed. Jin was following her, but Saffron was maintaining most of Romy’s attention, considering her crush was holding her bridal style and running down the hall with a smirk.

Romy disconnected her sister from telepathy before she sent something stupid.

“Why did you…”

Saffron smirked and glanced over at Jin.

“Maybe we just wanted to see you,” Saffron said.

“Or maybe we’re late to class,” Jin added, rolling her eyes.

“Both of those facts can be true,” Saffron replied, giving Romy a smirk and, undoubtedly, a wink behind her sunglasses.

Romy flushed and looked away, trying to pretend that none of this was happening while simultaneously trying to remember every detail of it.

Although… she was going to have to ask Saffron to stop doing this, even if she thought it was rather endearing, cute even.

-

Romy was seated in team JARR’s room at the moment, lounging on the bed. She and Saffron had worked on the weapon a bit today, and she was happy that she was finally getting the chance for some down time where she didn’t have to focus on her now overwhelming crush on Saffron.

As she stretched out where she was seated, a form plopped onto the bed. She glanced over, frowning when she saw that Jin was grinning at her.

“Wh-”

Before Romy could finish speaking, Jin reached out and grabbed her around the waist, tugging her closer.

Romy let out a cry of shock, grasping at the bed as if she were a cat trying to avoid being picked up.

Jin didn’t notice, instead setting down Romy in her lap and busying herself with Romy’s hair.

She squirmed a bit in Jin’s lap, but the giant didn’t seem to notice, instead continuing to play with it.

Romy relaxed after a moment, succumbing to her fate.

She wondered if it was a bad idea to have told them that playing with hair calmed her down.

The door opened and Romy glanced to the side, seeing that Saffron had walked in with a small grin.

The smile widened and she hurried over to the bed where the two were laying, flopping down haphazardly next to Romy and putting her head in her lap.

Romy flushed, and Saffron tilted her sunglasses down as she looked up at her.

“Something wrong?” Saffron asked, smirking just a bit.

“N-no,” Romy said quickly, putting her hand down on Saffron’s head and starting to run it through her hair, her fingers shaking just a bit.

Saffron hesitated, glancing up at Romy.

“Are you sure? Your hands are shaking,” Saffron said, reaching up and grabbing Romy’s hand in her own, though Saffron’s was gloved.

Romy flushed deeper.

“For me, that only happens when I take off my gloves… but we’re your gloves, so something must  _ really _ be bothering you.”

Romy hesitated. She didn’t know how to feel about Saffron relating her to gloves anymore. At first, she had thought that it was sweet when Saffron had first come to this conclusion, but now it was troublesome to have the girl she liked comparing herself to an article of clothing when it came to Romy. And, perhaps even worse, a coping mechanism.

Romy pushed those thoughts to the side and focused on the positive instead. That’s what Saffron had always said to do, right? Be happy for the things you had, and Saffron always seemed pretty happy, right? Right.

So Romy let herself relax, running a hand through Saffron’s hair.

“Nothing’s wrong, Saff.”

Saffron gave her a small smile before she sprawled out on the bed, taking up the majority of the room while Jin and Romy curled up closer to each other to give her more space.

Romy was staring down at Saffron with a fond smile, but she wasn’t the only one.


	77. The Gym

Saffron stretched where she stood. Her and Romy had been working on the weapon for a few hours now, having maybe skipped a few classes while calling in “sick,” and clearly Saffron was getting antsy. Romy had noticed she did that when she spent too much time in one place.

“Well, we’ve made some progress, so how about we treat ourselves?” Saffron asked, smirking.

Romy flushed, immediately imagining where they could go. Maybe a restaurant? A movie? Some place else that had serious connotations of being a date?

“H-how so?” Romy asked, glancing down so that she didn’t have to look at Saffron.

“The gym! That’s how I always relax. Plus, I haven’t had the chance to do as much working out since we started working on the weapon. So how about we go do a quick work out?”

Romy nodded mutely, knowing that she could never say no to Saffron.

“Great!”

Saffron hesitated for a moment before her hands reached up and unlatched her gloves, shoving them in her pocket.

Romy could tell that meant that Saffron was going to do something  _ other _ than sparring this time, and she stared at Saffron’s free hands.

Saffron grinned and slid her hand into Romy’s own.

Romy could feel that Saffron’s hand was shaking just slightly in her own, but it seemed to calm the longer she held Romy’s.

For someone who was constantly fighting with her hands, and literally punching Grimm in the face, Saffron’s hands were surprisingly soft.

Romy was used to that now, and she had put some thought into how Saffron’s hands could be so gentle when they were weapons of mass destruction at the same time.

She thought that it must be the gloves, considering Saffron never took them off. Aura didn’t stop calluses, which meant that most Huntsmen and Huntresses had hands that were completely covered in rough patches and calluses, but Saffron’s were completely free of anything abnormal like that.

It was odd for a Huntress to have such soft hands, and Romy couldn’t help but run her thumb up and down the back of Saffron’s hand.

Saffron’s hand stopped shaking after a moment, and she squeezed Romy’s hand back, giving her the barest of smiles.

After a moment, she took off at a run, dragging Romy behind her.

Romy was surprised that Saffron had started running, and she was having trouble keeping up with her. She suddenly understood why, perhaps in some very particular circumstances, it would be better for her giant friends to carry her.

Saffron skidded to a stop outside the gym, a grin on her face.

Romy wondered what she was getting herself into.

-

The answer was too much.

She was getting herself into  _ too much, _ and she realized that from the moment they stepped inside.

Saffron rolled her sleeves up her arms and rolled them up before she stretched her arms over her head for a moment, causing her shirt to raise a bit and show her stomach. She reached both of her arms up and quickly tired her hair into a messy ponytail, her brown hair framing her face as she glanced back and grinned at Romy.

Romy flushed and looked away, busying herself by taking off her coat.

She set it down on the bench.

When she turned back around, Saffron had already walked over to the weights, analyzing them.

“Okay, how about we work on your strength?” Saffron asked. “You need help with that, don’t you?”

Romy flushed.

“I can lift! I might not be… the  _ strongest, _ but I can lift!” Romy cried.

“Okay,” Saffron held up her, shaking, hands in surrender, but there was a small smirk on her face. “Then let’s start you out with a light weight and then add some.”

Romy nodded, stalking over and sitting down on one of the benches.

She was going to try and impress Saffron. Romy was a tiny person, over a foot shorter than Saffron, but she could still lift some. Probably not as much as Saffron, but… she didn’t want her to think that Romy was  _ weak, _ so… that meant that she was going to push herself today.

“Alright, let’s just start out easy and see where we go from there,” Saffron said.

Saffron gave her a small smile before she stood over Romy, spotting her with a slightly worried expression.

Romy took a deep breath before she reached up, grasping the bar and slowly lowering it toward her.

Her eyes widened. This was  _ definitely _ heavier than she was used to, and as she started to push it back up toward where the bar was supposed to hover above her. She couldn’t hold it up, and when Saffron had said “easy start,” she had obviously meant “ridiculously hard, weighing more than anything you’ve ever lifted, please save my life while I lift this thing.”

The bar started to slip down toward her, and Romy made a strangled cry, her eyes squeezing shut.

The bar didn’t connect with her, but her arms had fallen lax, letting go of it.

She tentatively opened her eyes, looking up at what had happened.

Saffron was leaning over her, holding the bar up with one hand, and giving her a concerned look.

“Hey, you okay? I thought you said you could lift.”

“I did!” Romy cried, panting. “I can lift a bar, not a damn car!”

“It was only a hundred and seventy-five pounds, Romy,” Saffron said.

She was still holding the bar with one hand, her knuckles hovering just an inch above Romy. She leaned against the side of the bench station, staring down at Romy with a small smirk.

“ONLY?! That’s two of me  _ and _ Romelle! That’s like four of me!”

“You don’t weigh, like, forty pounds, Romy. How much do you usually lift?”

“One twenty-five, max,” Romy said, her arms feeling numb as she squirmed a bit under the bar, staring up at Saffron.

She was effectively trapped as long as Saffron held the bar above her.

“Really?” Saffron asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah! I’m a tiny person! That’s a good proportion for me!” Romy cried, her arms at her side, refusing to lift up.

Saffron rolled her eyes and leaned down a bit, reaching her free hand down and poking Romy gently on the nose.

“That’s alright. Don’t want you to be too buff, now do we? Then you wouldn’t be as tiny and cute, would you?”

Romy flushed a dark shade of red, and Saffron let out a chuckle, setting the bar back where it was supposed to be.

Romy scrambled off of the bench as fast as she could without working arms before she glanced back at Saffron, who had slid into the bench where she had been sitting at after adding numerous weights.

“Don’t worry, Romy, I’m not going to force you to do any more lifting today,” Saffron said, her sunglasses at just the right angle for Romy to catch the wink that was thrown her way.

Romy tried to respond, but her mouth went dry as soon as Saffron started to move the bar, lowering it and lifting it as if it were nothing.

Romy didn’t know how long Saffron did this, nor how many reps, but when she was finished, Romy was immediately aware.

Saffron let out a huff and put the bar back, sitting up.

She lifted her shirt after a moment, wiping at the sweat that had appeared on her face.

Romy watched her for a long moment, and Saffron raised an eyebrow.

“You alright? Do I have something on my face?” Saffron asked, smirking just a little bit.

Romy shook her head, looking away with a bright pink blush.

“Well, I’m done for the day, and I assume your noodle arms are too,” Saffron smirked when Romy glared at her, “so how about we call it a day and go pester Jin?”

Romy was about to respond, finally finding that her mind was clearing, but Saffron stopped walking toward her, hesitating.

Romy could clearly see that Saffron was reaching behind her to grab her gloves from her back pockets, but she didn’t seem so sure.

Saffron finally grabbed one glove and held it in her hand, running her thumb over it for a moment before she shook her head, stuffing it back into her pocket.

She reached out and grabbed Romy by the hand, giving her a small grin before leading her out at a far more manageable pace this time.

-

Saffron opened the door with the same dramatic enthusiasm as always, but Romy could see that her hand was shaking when she did so.

Jin looked up, her gaze immediately locking on Saffron’s gloveless hands.

Saffron flashed Jin a small smirk, wiggling her gloveless hand, the one that wasn’t holding Romy’s, as if to say “tada!”

Romelle had locked eyes with her twin, and she smirked, raising an eyebrow and glancing pointedly toward where Romy and Saffron’s hands were interlaced.

Romy flushed and glared at her sister, not noticing the tender smile that Saffron and Jin shared as she was tugged toward the bed.

Saffron flopped onto the bed next to Jin, sprawling out and taking both of her hands back to rest behind her head.

“You won’t  _ believe _ what happened today, Jin,” Saffron said, smirking.

“You finally took off your gloves?” Jin asked.

“What? Oh, hardly noticed,” Saffron lied, though the smug smirk on her face gave her away. “I was  _ going _ to say that I learned Romy can only lift one twenty-five.”

Jin snorted.

“Yeah, I know, it’s sad.”

Romy glared at her team leader for the betrayal, giving her a small look of disbelief.

Jin just grinned back at her, stretching out and laying next to Saffron, one hand reaching out and setting itself over Saffron’s own.

“Hey, it’s proportional to my bodyweight!” Romy cried.

She almost wanted to tell Jin that Saffron had called her cute, but she decided against it, glancing down and flushing at the memory.

Jin laughed and leaned closer to Saffron, rolling her eyes.


	78. The Weapon

Saffron stretched for a moment before she looked down at the weapon, a wide grin on her face.

“Well, looks like we’re done!” Saffron put her gloved hand on her shoulder, and Romy flushed. “How about we go take it for a spin?”

Romy nodded mutely, and Saffron turned, grabbing the weapon. She picked it up reverently, as if it was something mystical and fragile that had to be protected instead of a chaotic weapon idea that would end up getting someone killed.

She handed it to Romy slowly, and when she grabbed it, her hand grazed against Saffron’s own, causing her to flush deeper.

“Y-yeah, that sounds nice,” Romy said, giving her the barest of smiles.

Saffron seemed enthused by the agreement, and she put her hand on Romy’s shoulder, starting to guide her out of the room.

Romy leaned against Saffron’s side as they walked through the hall, a small, shy smile on her face. She tentatively reached one hand out and put it on top of Saffron’s arm, pulling her just a bit closer and setting her head on her shoulder.

Saffron didn’t pull away, and she actually gave her a small smile as they headed toward the sparring room.

Saffron held the door open for her.

“Alright, let’s get some practice in! Gotta get you ready for your next mission, because you’ll have  _ this _ by your side!” Saffron patted the gun with one hand and grinned at Romy, who flushed.

She glanced down at the weapon, running one hand over the gun for a moment, a look of awe on her face. In a way, it would be like she had Saffron at her side every time she used it. There was no way that she could get hurt when Saffron Adel was by her side.

Saffron held her hands in front of her for a moment, copying the way that Romy held the weapon. A moment later, her hands lit up a bright shade of white and Romy’s weapon appeared in Saffron’s hands.

After a minute, Romy put her hand on the trigger.

It was in pistol form, the sniper rifle strapped to her back, and as soon as she pulled the front trigger, a bullet shooting forward and hitting the target that Saffron had set up a little while ago.

Saffron nodded.

“And then the second trigger,” she moved her finger to point at it on her own gun, “shoots-”

Romy gave her a small, fond smile and rolled her eyes.

“I know how it works, Saff.”

Saffron held up her hands, the weapon dissipating from her hands as she did so.

“Right, right, sorry, just wanted to help,” Saffron said, taking off her sunglasses and putting them on the collar of her shirt as she watched. She tilted her stance to the side a bit, putting her hand on her hip as she stared at Romy.

Romy flushed a dark shade of red, turning to focus on her weapon.

She fiddled with the dial on the side until it was set at spades. Also known as  _ electricity. _ The pistol, which was colored blue, red, and white, shot a card as soon as she hit the trigger, sending the card shooting across the room. When it collided with the target, it exploded, electricity shooting from it and almost causing the lights to go out.

“And then you can-”

“I told you I know how it works, Saff,” Romy chided, bumping their shoulders against each other with a small smirk.

Saffron huffed.

“Fine, fine! But if you ever need me to get your cards back, you’re on your own!” Saffrons said playfully, giving her a wink.

Romy accidentally pulled the trigger on the gun, and another card, this time a regular, metal edged one, shot forward and stuck to the target, clearly deeply imprinted on the wall.

Saffron almost spoke, but she held her tongue as Romy hit the button on the side, turning on the Magnet Dust that Saffron had given her. The Dust that had been connected by Saffron shot back to Romy, and she caught it in her hands, adding them back to her ammo.

She grinned to herself before she slid the sniper out of its sheath on her back, connecting it to the pistol. It could also shoot either bullets or cards when connected to the pistol.

She tested it, and as soon as she was done, Saffron raced over, throwing her arms around the other girl and lifting her into the air with a wide grin.

Romy blushed deeply, slowly wrapping her arms around Saffron and reciprocating the action.

She might not like it when Saffron picked her up without any warning… but she supposed that she could get used to hugs.

In fact, she thought that she already was.

She smiled fondly and buried her face in Saffron’s neck, holding her tighter and closing her eyes.


	79. Semblances (2.0)

Lavey yawned, stretching on her bed. Before she could get up, a gust of wind shot through the room.

Lavey let out a cry of shock as she was thrown off the bed, hitting the ground with a loud  **thump** .

“Aella!” Lavey cried, scrambling to her feet. “Stop it!”

Aella was doing a loop in the air, and she looked down at Lavey for a moment.

“Sorry, Lav! Didn’t mean too!” Aella cried, dropping to the ground.

Lavey grumbled and started to get ready.

Adolpha and Aella had both had their Semblances for a few months now, but none of the others had gotten theirs as of yet, which was rather frustrating.

Lavey herself was hoping to get her Semblance soon, if only so that she could stop seeing that  _ smug smirk _ on Adolpha’s face every time someone drew attention to the fact that only she and Aella had Semblances. Also, Aella kept hitting them with her wind gusts, and Lavey really wanted to have a special way of retaliating other than throwing a shoe at her and then having to go pick up Crystal’s shoe.

She was determined to get her Semblance soon, even if it  _ killed her. _

On her way to breakfast, she bumped into Yang, causing her mother to stumble back a step.

Yang frowned, and Lavey rolled her eyes.

Yang was always doing that sort of thing. Letting them win arm wrestling matches, saying they hurt her hand when they did handshakes, and more of the like.

As Lavey made her way to the kitchen, Auburn came sprinting down the hall, colliding with her and causing them both to tumble backward and hit the ground.

“AUBURN!” Lavey shrieked, shoving her brother off of her. “If you’re going to hit someone, make it Adolpha, not me!”

“Sorry, Lav! Should have watched where I was going!” he said, laughing nervously. Despite Lavey being one of the youngest siblings (disregarding Auburn himself and Meriah), and the shortest of the seven, all of her siblings were still scared of her.

She hoped that her Semblance would help her with that.

She sat down at the table, reaching out to grab her bowl.

It fell, and she dove to the ground, catching it in both hands.

“Nice save. But you know, if you’d had  _ my _ Semblance, you wouldn’t have had to,” Aella said, giving her a wry grin as she lifted a bowl out of the cabinet with her Semblance, letting it hover in the air toward her until she caught it with a laugh.

Lavey glared at her and threw the bowl into the bowl and stalked out of the room, too frustrated to eat, which was a rare occurrence.

“Hey, Lav, are you alright?” Blake asked, her hand coming to rest on Lavey’s shoulder.

Lavey jumped, looking up at her mother.

“Yeah, just a little frustrated.”

Lavey went to pat her mother on the side, and Blake let out a cry of shock as she was thrown to the side, colliding with the wall, creating a sickening  **_thump_ ** .

Lavey stared in complete shock as Blake pushed herself to her feet, stumbling a bit as she did so.

“Lavey,” Blake winced, “did you… by chance, discover your Semblance between the time you went to sleep and now?”

“Don’t think so?”

“Everything alright?! I heard something fall!” Weiss called.

“Next time a child is discovering their Semblance, you’re going to be the one that gets thrown across the room!” Blake groaned.

“No thank you!” Weiss cried back.

-

Crystal blinked tiredly as she stalked through the halls. She hadn’t gotten her coffee yet this morning, and the last few nights had been long, considering Lavey had recently discovered her Semblance and hadn’t stopped using it since. What in the name of Dust even  _ was _ kinetic energy?! Crystal had never understood that shit.

As she walked, a glyph appeared under her feet, and she cried out in shock as she was thrown into the air, hitting the ceiling.

Her eyes widened in fear as the glyph underneath her disappeared, and she tried to grab something on the ceiling to stop herself from falling to the ground, but, as one would expect of the ceiling, there was nothing for her to grab, and she started to fall.

Before she could gain any momentum, however, another glyph appeared beneath her, and she was suddenly trapped in place, clinging to the ceiling for dear life, yet somehow knowing that there was no way for her to fall.

“Uh… help!” Crystal called after a moment, looking around with wide eyes. She was wondering if Weiss had made this… or perhaps she herself had.

Weiss’ Semblance was supposed to be hereditary, right? And so far, none of Crystal’s siblings nor her cousin had shown this, so she supposed that it at least made sense that one of them would have it.

But…

“What’s wrong?” Weiss called.

“I’m stuck!”

“Where?!”

“The ceiling!” Crystal cried.

“Aella, go get your sister down from the ceiling!” Weiss yelled, clearly having thought that Lavey or even Aella herself had done something to mess with Crystal.

Aella appeared down the hallway and dropped from the air, stumbling a bit as she landed. She’d been working on that recently, and she seemed a little proud of herself.

She looked up at Crystal, and she skidded to a stop.

“Uh… mom!” Aella called.

“Yeah?” Weiss replied.

“Is your… is your Semblance on?”

“What? No-” Weiss froze. “Oh no.”

A moment later, they could hear the sound of footsteps coming closer.

“Are you going to help or not?!” Crystal hissed at Aella, who was still looking at her with shock.

“Uh… is… is the glyph going to attack me?”

“It’s a glyph, not a damn bear!” Crystal snapped.

“I know, but I’ve seen Momma Weiss’ glyphs summon some pretty scary things, so…”

“It’s a good thing  _ you _ didn’t get her Semblance, idiot,” Crystal muttered, looking around from where she was perched on the ceiling.

“Hey, at least  _ I _ haven’t gotten stuck on the ceiling, and I’m the one that can fly!” Aella defended, crossing her arms as she glared at her sister.

Before Crystal could say anything, Weiss burst into the room, staring up at her daughter with wide eyes.

“Don’t worry, Cy, I’m going to get you down from there, just hold still.”

Weiss summoned a glyph over Crystal’s, trying to counteract it, but there was an explosive response, which sent Weiss flying backward. She hit the wall with force, and Crystal cried out as she started to fall toward the ground.

Aella leapt into the air, grabbing her sister and lowering her to the ground safely.

“What was that?!” Blake called from the other room.

“Your curse, dear!” Weiss screamed.


	80. Your Love Could Start a War

RRomy was sitting at the work bed, not work table, no, they didn’t need one of those, considering Aella was still sleeping in that hammock in the air.

Romy was supposed to be working on her homework with Jin, but she had found herself distracted by her thoughts.

Lately, all of them had been revolving around Saffron, and she couldn’t even blame herself. What she could blame herself for, however, was the heartbreak with Adolpha. Why had she ever liked her when she had  _ Saffron _ just down the hall? When she had had  _ Saffron _ comforting her.

As she sat there, her imagination ran wild.

She was envisioning a date between herself and Saffron, the two of them going through town together, maybe an arcade? Saffron could win her all of those prizes that nobody was supposed to be able to get, considering they were rigged. Saffron would maybe even take her sunglasses off, and both of them could walk through hand in hand… Saffron might even trust her enough to take her gloves off while they were on the date.

Except… something about that date seemed wrong, as if something was missing.

“Hey, Romy,” Jin said, snapping her fingers in front of her teammate’s face to get her attention.

Romy jumped, eyes going wide as she looked at her.

Her face flushed red.

“Come on, pay attention,” Romy scurried over to do her homework, glancing up at Jin as she continued to talk, “I’m sorry to be strict, I just don’t want you to fail. I know you always get upset with lower grades, even if you don’t admit it.”

Jin gave her a kind smile, leaning closer and brushing a bit of Romy’s hair out of her face.

Romy flushed deeply.

“O-oh, thanks…”

Romy was staring at Jin with a look of shock and sudden understanding.

Jin… Jin was  _ something special. _ When they had been younger, she had been the kindest, sweetest person she had ever known, but she was also a pushover. Recently, she had changed into a stone cold leader. For a long time, Romy had thought that the kind person Jin used to be had gone away, but she’d recently realized, after everything with Adolpha, that Jin was still that person, just a little more guarded, just in case something went wrong.

Romy realized, in that moment, that she wasn’t only interested in Saffron.

But Jin as well.

Her eyes widened with a mixture of disbelief and fear as she looked at her team leader.

Jin looked like she was about to say something, but suddenly the song changed.

They had been listening to a playlist from the Adax band, in which Saffron had been the lead singer on.

Jin sat up straighter, a fond smile on her face.

“You know I gotta love you.”

Jin hummed along to Saffron’s voice, leaning back on her hands.

Romy found a smile growing on her lips as well. Even with her mind abuzz with thoughts and fears at having feelings for Jin, she couldn’t help herself from smiling at Jin, especially when she was so happy.

“Our name is written in the streets.”

Jin bobbed her head along to the beat, completely forgetting her homework as she stared up at the ceiling.

“You are a force of nature.”

Romy had almost forgotten that Saffron had made her an album, what with the  _ everything _ that was going on.

“The fire's moving through your feet.”

Romy thought for a moment, smiling to herself. She knew that Ilesha had sung this song the last time they’d heard it, but she was sure that Saffron did a better rendition of it.

“Your love could start a war.”

The song reminded her of Saffron, too, and it was hard not to imagine her. She could see Saffron’s love starting a war.

“You love is what I'm fighting for.”

She… could also see someone fighting for her love. In fact, Romy supposed, that was what she was doing.

“I would die for this revelation.”

Jin had a small smile on her face as she looked up at the ceiling.

“You know, I suggested this song,” Jin said. “Saffron really liked it, so she had them play it at their first gig.”

Romy remembered that, and she couldn’t help but look at Jin like she had put the stars in the sky.

“You did?”

“Yeah. Saffron  _ loved _ it, said it was the best romantic song she’d ever heard. You know her, thinks even romance should have some sort of fighting.”

“Yeah,” Romy said, her eyes distantly, “yeah, that sounds like her.”

“Your battle cry is drowning out the fear! Just take my life, I know the end is near.”

Romy glanced over at Jin, eyes landing on her hand, which was set on the ground just a few inches away from Romy’s own. She crept a bit closer with her hand, her fingers brushing against Jin’s own.

“You're riot dancin’!”

Romy went to thread her fingers between Jin’s own, but she shifted, not seeming to notice that Romy had gotten so close.

“But I just want to fly.”

Romy cursed in her head, but she guessed that, for a moment, she could content herself with just watching Jin from a far, admiring the gentle smile on her face as she quietly sang along.

“I hear you singing.”

Romy didn’t know who she was more distracted by at the moment, Saffron or Jin. Saffron seemed to be pouring all of her emotion into the song, but Jin had on that gentle smile, her hair framing her face as she tilted her head back as if looking up at someone.

“Tomorrow never dies.”

Romy let out a lovesick sigh.

“I would die for this revelation.”

Romy leaned a bit closer to Jin, if only she could get a better look at her.

“Your love could start a war.”

Romy could definitely understand the sentiment behind this song, and the idea that Saffron could too made her face a bright shade of red.

When the song came to an end, she fumbled for her scroll, creating a new playlist that was made up only of songs that Saffron sang lead in, finding herself grinning when she found a few love songs.

Her sad playlist was forgotten, at least for the time being.


	81. Not Again

Saffron was laying on the bed again, her head in Jin’s lap with her arm lazily wrapped around Romy’s lap.

Romy had gathered up the courage to reach over and run a hand through Saffron’s hair, but that had been a process that had taken at least half an hour.

“You know,” Saffron said, running her hand down Jin’s leg.

“What?” Jin prompted, raising an eyebrow.

“I think I’m going to cut it.”

“What?” Romy asked, glancing over at the two of them.

“My hair.”

“What?!” Romy and Jin cried as one, sitting up and staring down at her.

Saffron held her head, groaning. It seemed that Jin had hit it with her knee, and Romy leaned closer to look at her head worriedly before she remembered about Aura. She felt stupid for having done so, so she didn’t mention it.

“You’re not cutting your hair,” Jin said, crossing her arms.

Saffron balked.

“What? Why not?”

“Because,” Jin made eye contact with Saffron, “I like your long hair.”

Romy nodded her agreement, and Saffron glanced at her.

“But it keeps getting in the way when I fight. I think it would just be easier if I cut it,” Saffron said.

“You’re not  _ cutting it, _ Saff,” Jin said, rolling her eyes.

Saffron groaned.

“You know, you could always put your hair up so that it doesn’t get in the way,” Romy suggested.

“Yeah, but that’s so much work,” Saffron said.

Jin snorted.

“Yeah, and you have no idea how to do hair, despite having two sisters,” Jin said.

“That doesn’t immediately qualify me as someone who knows how to do hair, Jin!” Saffron snapped, sounding almost defensive. Romy thought it was cute that she didn’t know how to do hair.

Romy moved a bit closer, her heart hammering in her chest.

“You know, I could put it up for you if you want, make sure it doesn’t get in your face when you’re fighting.”

Saffron paused for a moment, her gaze darting from Jin to Romy.

“If you don’t mind, that would be nice, I guess. Might stop me from cutting my hair,” Saffron said, smirking a bit.

“You’re not cutting your hair,” Jin said quickly. “We could do your hair whenever you need.”

Saffron smiled a bit and leaned back into Jin’s lap again.

“Well, go ahead then, Jin. Work your hair magic and get it out of my face.”

To highlight her point, Saffron blew a bit of her hair out of her face, her sunglasses a bit askew as she winked up at Jin.

Jin rolled her eyes and put her hands in Saffron’s hair, moving it around expertly and starting to put it up in an intricate braid.

Romy wished she could help, but she supposed she would get a turn to do so later, and for now, she could just watch the two of them with a small, fond expression.

Across the room, Romelle looked up from her scroll and raised an eyebrow, staring at her sister. She’d never seen that look on her sister’s face before, but she thought she recognized the one on Jin’s.

She’d seen that same expression on Adolpha’s face looking at both of the twins on numerous occasions.

Saffron had closed her eyes behind her sunglasses, and she ran her hand down Jin’s arm, her other one placed on Romy’s waist.

For once, Romy thought that everything was going… well, it was going pretty good! She was here, curled up between her two crushes, who were also staring at each other with fond looks. Maybe… just maybe, she would get the chance to act on her feelings this time.

She couldn’t be late again. She couldn’t.


	82. Target Practice

Jin had organized a team JARR practice, but she had sent Romelle and Aella off to do their own thing while she and Romy worked with her new weapon.

“So… you and Saffron… weaponized playing cards?”

Romy nodded, flushing as Jin looked down at her.

“Leave it to Saffron to make something that  _ really _ shouldn’t be a weapon into one,” Jin said, shaking her head as she smiled a bit.

“Yeah… that does sound like her, doesn’t it?” Romy asked, smiling to herself.

Jin glanced at her before she shook her head, focusing on what was important.

“Alright, how about you show me what you’ve got. AELLA!” Jin called.

Aella jumped, almost falling out of the air at the loud noise.

“Yeah?!” she cried back.

“Target practice!”

Aella winced.

“Please, not again.”

“What?! It’s good for you! Now stop standing still and start moving before she hits you!” Jin called, reaching down and clapping a hand on Romy’s shoulder. “Alright, for every hit, you get another ice cream.”

Romy giggled and raised her weapon.

She put the sniper up toward her face, looking through the sight before she pulled the second trigger.

A card shot toward Aella, and she cried out in shock.

The wind shot out and barely deflected the card before it could hit Aella.

“Wh… was that a playing card?!” Aella cried, eyes wide as she looked down at her teammates.

Romelle let out a loud laugh, her scroll already out as she started to record Aella in the air.

“Why did you shoot a playing card at me, Romy?!” Aella shouted. “It’s not like one of those could h-oh, shit!”

Aella dove toward the ground as another card shot toward her, this one faster than the last.

Romy let it fly past Aella, and as Aella lifted higher into the air, she smirked.

Romy hit the button on her weapon, turning on the Magnet Dust that Saffron had perfected.

Had perfected  _ specifically _ for her…

Romy shook her head, not letting herself get distracted yet again.

Aella let out a strangled cry as the card shot back and hit her in the back of the head, exploding with Fire Dust on impact.

“What just happened?!” Aella cried, ducking down and letting the card return to Romy.

“Justice!” Jin cried.

Aella groaned and fumbled for the pockets in her cloak.

After a moment, she grinned and pulled out her weapon.

“Prepare for revenge!” Aella cried.

Before she could do anything, Romy’s finger retracted and hit the other trigger, causing a bullet to hit Aella in the leg.

Aella screamed in shock, curling into a ball in midair, eyes wide.

“It had  **bullets** too?!” she screamed.

“Yup!” Romy said, smirking.

Aella let her cloak surround her, and she put her blow gun to her mouth, shooting out a dart. It was light in the air, and it was so small that, after a moment, Romy lost track of where it was, causing her to squint and look around.

Aella was manipulating the air around the blow dart, causing it to loop around Romy’s back and hit her from behind.

Romy cried out in shock, but her voice was deafened as the dart blew up.

“Yeah! That’s right!” Aella cheered. “I can use Dust!”

After a moment, the wind whistled around Romy, and the dart shot back through the air, sticking Jin in the leg.

Jin growled and caught the dart before it could whizz off.

Aella smirked.

“So that’s how we’re playing?”

A whirlwind picked up around Jin, and her eyes went wide a moment before she was thrown back through the air.

She slammed against the wall, and Aella snickered, calling her weapon back to her with a flick of the wrist. It shot through the air and landed back among the other darts in her cloak.

Aella let out a sigh of relief and drifted toward the ground, though she watched Romy nervously to see what she might do next, perhaps take out revenge and try to shoot her in the face with one of those exploding card things.

Aella didn’t really want that to happen, considering those things were terrifying.

She made a mental note to ask Saffron how she had sent those cards flying back, because that had been decidedly  _ not _ Romy’s Semblance, and Aella was too curious for her own good.

Romy, however, had gone pale, and she dashed over to where Jin was laying on the ground, skidding to a stop on her knees next to her team leader.

“Jin, are you alright?” Romy asked, grabbing Jin’s shoulder and looking like she was worried that maybe Jin might have to go to the infirmary, like that time she had been tased. Or that other time she had been tased. Or the time she’d been maised. Or-

Well, it wasn’t important how many times Ilesha had sent Jin to the infirmary.

Jin looked up at Romy, frowning a bit.

“Of course I’m alright, Romy. You know my Semblance,” Jin said, putting her hand on top of Romy’s comfortingly. “Besides, THAT HIT WAS WEAK!”

“Says the girl I just threw across the room!” Aella screamed back, grinning at her sister.

Romy hesitated, letting out a sigh of relief as she looked down at Jin.

Jin got to her feet quickly, putting her hand on Romy’s back.

“How about we get some practice? This time with some real targets, and not annoying gremlins?”

“Barely even a gremlin,” Romy said, smiling shyly at Jin, “council was pretty split.”

“Council?”

“DON’T BRING THAT UP AGAIN, ROMY!” Aella screamed. “I’m a gremlin, fair and square!”

“Yeah, but you’re four inches too tall!”

“Crystal’s five foot two!” Aella shouted.

“Height difference becomes exponentially bigger after five feet, you know this, Aella,” Romelle said, shaking her head sufferingly, as if this was something that she had explained multiple times.

“That… doesn’t make any sense,” Jin whispered to Romy, giving her a confused look.

Romy just smiled at her fondly, shaking her head.

“It wouldn’t to a giant like you.”

Romy smiled fondly as she walked side by side with Jin, leaning against her just a bit as they got ready to continue training.


	83. Panic

Aella looked across the room, a small smirk growing on her face.

Jin was asleep on her bed with Romy and Saffron curled up next to her. Or, well, Aella could see Saffron cuddling with Jin, but she knew that Romy was there somewhere, having taken the middle last night. That meant that the two giants had hidden her fellow gremlin from view, which meant that they were both cuddled up next to each other and on top of her pretty much.

She thought that the scene was pretty cute, all things considered. After all, Aella had always been the romantic type, someone who wanted to be swept off her feet by some cute girl, or maybe, just maybe, girls, that would tell her just how much they loved her, possibly with cheesy lines. Yes, she was that type of romantic, one that she herself would label as hopeless.

Despite that fact, she was still very much a gremlin, and she was definitely going to wake up the happy trio.

She fumbled in her cloak for a moment before she pulled out an airhorn.

She snickered quietly and crept closer to the three.

Romelle looked over.

“Aella, are you going to scare those three awake?”

Aella’s eyes widened in shock and she glanced behind her. She froze for a moment, wishing that she could deny it, but there was no lie that she could come up with.

Finally, Aella just nodded.

“Go ahead,” Romelle said, waving her hand. She looked disinterested, but there was a slight smirk on her lips, and she pulled her scroll out of her pocket so that she could record the incident.

Aella grinned before she gently, and quietly, lifted herself into the air with the wind, floating toward the trio. After a moment, she blew the airhorn and shot into the air, grabbing onto her hammock and scrambling in, trying to look innocent as she curled up in her cloak, covering her head with it.

Saffron let out a startled cry, shooting out of bed. Her hands were at the ready, clearly waiting for any assailant to try to attack her. She had positioned herself in front of Jin and Romy, making sure that nobody would be able to get to them.

Jin had thrown herself over Romy, blocking her body with her own. She reached one hand out toward Saffron, but she was too far away for her to reach.

Saffron glanced down at her fists, and her eyes widened in fear.

She took a shuddering breath and her hands started to shake uncontrollably, her fists crumbling apart until she was staring down at her bare palms. She took an unconscious step back, and Jin’s hand touched her back.

Saffron let out a quiet sound of fear, launching herself forward away from the touch and into a tight barrel roll, which she came out of crouched on the floor, eyes wild and her hands still shaking in fear.

Jin hurried off the bed.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright, it was just an airhorn. Nothing to worry about,” she said quietly, walking toward Saffron slowly.

Saffron hesitated for a moment, her eyes calming a bit, but her hands were still trembling.

“It’s alright, I’m right here,” Jin said gently, putting her hand on top of her shoulder slowly.

Saffron took a deep breath, and Romy tumbled off of the bed, staring at the two of them and clearly wondering what she could do to help Saffron.

Saffron looked over at the gloves on the table, using her Semblance to pull them toward her. The gloves shook in midair just like her hands were doing, and she took a shaky breath, curling closer to Jin as the gloves started to fall.

Romy lunged forward and caught them, cradling them gently in her hands. It was almost like she was holding Saffron, or at least a piece of her. She was holding the confidence and self assuredness that Saffron only ever seemed to have when she wore her gloves. The confidence that would melt away the moment she took off her gloves at night, when she would curl up between Jin and Romy with such gentle care.

Romy hurried over, though not too fast, as she was fearful of scaring Saffron away.

Jin took the gloves as soon as she was in reach, and she knelt down in front of Saffron.

“Hey, hey, I’ve got them, I’ve got you,” Jin said gently. She held out one glove in a gentle grasp, grabbing Saffron’s wrist softly. She guided her arm forward and slid the glove on, clicking it into place for her.

Saffron’s right hand immediately stopped shaking, but the other one was still trembling uncontrollably.

“Hey, one more,” Jin said quietly. Saffron took a wracking breath, and Jin leaned forward, putting her forehead against Saffron’s own. “I know you can do this.”

Saffron squeezed her eyes shut as Jin tried to put the glove on her hand, but it was shaking too much for Jin to finish the job.

“I need you to relax, Saff. Can you do that for me?” Jin asked. Saffron nodded slowly, one tear sliding down her cheek as she forced her hand to still just a bit, grabbing it with her gloved hand and holding it in place for Jin.

Jin slid the glove into place quickly, latching it in a moment.

Saffron let out a trembling sigh, and she opened her eyes, giving Jin a quick, thankful look before she wiped at her eyes with her gloved hand.

She held her hand out, looking a bit tentative, but her sunglasses shot over to her open palm. Saffron let out a sigh of relief, putting it on her face and hiding her eyes from view.

She grabbed Jin’s hand in her own and squeezed it hard, but she put on a grin.

“Yeah, yeah, real funny, Aella. We’ll see how funny it is when I shave you. Now come on, I don’t want to miss breakfast,” Saffron said, tugging Jin out of the room like nothing had happened.

Romy watched the two for a moment before she hurried after.

She went to grab her hand, but Saffron flinched away subconsciously, pulling closer to Jin as if she had been harmed.

Romy hesitated, and Jin met her gaze, shaking her head.

Saffron kept her grin on her face, but it faltered for a moment as she glanced back at Romy.

Saffron looked a little regretful, and Romy tried not to think anything about it. After all, Saffron had just had a mental breakdown, so she could definitely excuse Saffron flinching away…

Even if it hurt a little.

-

Romy flopped onto the bed, groaning.

Jin and Saffron had both decided to go to the gym together, and Romy knew that it was a flimsy excuse for Saffron to leave and calm down without people staring at her. After all, she was  _ the _ Saffron Adel. The press would be all over her if they thought that she was having any sort of breakdown, and she wouldn’t live it down for the next decade. Romy had wanted to come with, but Jin had told her that she could come some other time. For the time being, Saffron needed to be with as few people as possible while she calmed down.

Aella was somewhere in the vents being a gremlin. Maybe she had gone to team IMCA or LAAC’s dorm, but Romy hadn’t paid much attention to her, other than noting she had left the room.

Romelle glanced over at her sister, raising an eyebrow.

“You good?”

“Erm pwhasn,” Romy said, muffled in her pillow.

“What?”

“I said I’m fine!” she said, picking up her head.

“Okay, cool.”

Romy stared at Romelle in disbelief.

“Ro… Romelle! I’m clearly not fine!” Romy cried.

Romelle glanced over at her.

“But you said you were, so how was I supposed to know otherwise?”

“Because I’m laying on the bed while groaning in my pillow like I’ve been shot! You’re not only my twin, but a  **person** ! You should know that’s the universal sign for not being okay!”

“Well then just say that!” Romelle cried, throwing her arms up in the air.

“Fine! I’m not ‘good,’ Romelle!”

Romelle sighed, putting up her scroll.

“What’s wrong this time?”

“Saffron and Jin. They went to the gym.”

“Oh no, they’re being physically active, what ever shall you do?” Romelle asked sarcastically.

“Together, Romelle!” Romy cried. “They’re going together on their own, and they didn’t want me to come. Face it, I’m just another charity case they took in because they’re amazing people who just want to help. I’m… I’m nothing more to them than that.”

“Them? I thought you ‘didn’t like Jin, Romelle, stop asking, Romelle, she’s not my type,  _ Romelle _ !’ so why do you care now?”

Romelle had on a smug smirk, and Romy buried her face back in her pillow.

“I like her.”

“What’s that?” Romelle asked.

“I SAID I LIKE HER, YOU IDIOT!”

Romelle cackled like a witch.

“Called it! So how are you going to break the news that you’re, once again, over someone in record time to Saffron?” Romelle asked.

“W-over her?! Romelle, I like  _ both of them, _ that’s the problem!” Romy cried.

Romelle hesitated.

“Both… right, forgot that was a thing.”

“Wha-literally how?! You grew up with so many poly people in the family!”

“I don’t know, you guys were always weird. What with your lack of jealousy and possessiveness. If I ever saw another woman kiss Adolpha, I’d gut her like a fish and then feed her to the pigs. They’d never find her body.”

“And Adolpha?” Romy asked, intrigued.

“Well clearly this woman forced herself on my girl, so I’d take her to therapy to make sure she was okay,” Romelle said, shrugging as if it were obviously.

Romy burst out laughing, and Romelle had on a small smirk as she watched her sister. A few minutes later, when she’d calmed down, Romy spoke.

“You know, you’re wrong.”

“About me killing a bitch? No, I would.”

“What? No, I know you would. I’m talking about the jealousy thing. We… we can definitely get jealous, even if we like them both.”

Romelle was silent for a moment before she pushed herself to her feet, walking over to take a seat next to her sister.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” Romelle said, patting her knee.

“Why?” Romy asked, glancing up.

“Because they’re clearly head over heels.”

“You really think so?” she asked hopefully.

Romelle gave her a small smile.

“I’m sure of it. So stop moping, you’re ruining the whole mood.”


	84. Attention

Romy was seated at lunch in between Saffron and Jin, glancing between them.

Saffron was eating with her gloves on again, something that she had been doing for the past few days, ever since Aella had scared them awake.

Romy wasn't sure what to do about it, but it seemed as if Jin had a plan, considering she was watching Saffron with a calculating look in her eyes. Yesterday, she'd even talked to Romy and mentioned something about fixing it tomorrow, so at least they had something to look forward to.

Saffron was looking at her food distantly, her perpetual smile slipping as she played with it dully. She was clearly still upset after everything, and she had been through in the past few days, and Romy couldn't blame her, but she really did want to help.

"Hey, S-Saffron?" an unfamiliar voice called.

Romy glanced over her shoulder, finding a fellow first year, who was blushing up a storm as she looked at the bass guitarist.

"Yeah?" Saffron asked, her sunglasses tilting down a bit.

"Can... can I have your autograph?" the girl asked.

Saffron smiled just a bit, but even with her eyes covered, Romy could tell it was fake from the look in her eyes.

"Sure!" Saffron said, smirking. "Anything for a fan."

She sent the girl a wink before her glove unlatched. It started to detach from her hand, but she hesitated, and Romy could see the small look of fear in her eyes. After a moment, Saffron's glove relatched and she shook her head. Whenever Saffron signed signatures, she would typically use her glove, manipulating it like it was her own hand, and then make whoever was watching super impressed. She didn't look like she was willing to do that now, and Romy wished she could reach out to put her hand on Saffron's shoulder.

She didn't, because she didn't think she could.

"Sorry, can't do the glove thing, got a few burns," Saffron lied, wiggling her fingers with another wink.

The girl blushed deeply, looking down and watching Saffron write her autograph with a dramatic flourish.

She held the notebook to her chest and waved shyly before she took off, retreating to her friends and immediately starting to brag about getting an autograph from the Saffron Adel.

"That was weird," Jin said, clearly trying to distract Saffron from staring down at her gloves.

"How so?" Romy prompted, glancing at Saffron.

"Hasn't it been a while since someone asked for your signature, Saff?" Jin asked.

"Uh, about a week," Saffron said, shrugging. "Less than usual."

Jin rolled her eyes, and Romy's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't known that Saffron was that recognizable.

"I mean, not counting this morning," Saffron replied, sounding disinterested, but there was a small, smug smirk on her face that Romy recognized. She was clearly proud. At least she was something other than frustrated by herself.

"What happened this morning?" Romy asked, frowning.

"Two people asked for my autograph," Saffron said, shrugging before taking another bite of her food. "Seems like people are starting to recognize me more."

"Why's that?" Jin asked, frowning a bit.

Jin glanced around the cafeteria, and Romy followed her gaze. She was surprised to find that almost everyone was looking at their table. A vast majority of the people around there staring at Saffron, but some were watching Ilesha, Rosemary, and Akio as well.

"I don't know," Saffron said, though she looked a little bit happier as she glanced around the room.

Suddenly, another form waltzed up to where they were sitting, her gaze focused on Saffron. She had on a sultry smirk, and she looked Saffron up and down with a slow, deliberate motion.

"Can I help you?" Jin asked.

"Not you, but someone might be able to," she said, her gaze not faltering from Saffron.

Romy crossed her arms, glaring at the woman.

Jin's arm started to change, her scales appearing from bare skin as she watched the woman, glaring.

This girl was obviously a second year, and Saffron thought she looked familiar. She thought that she might have been from the class where she had almost stripped to fight that other team. Coco had stopped her, thankfully, though.

This woman didn't seem too happy about that, however, considering she way she was staring at the parts of Saffron's body that were very covered by her clothing.

Romy moved closer to Saffron subconsciously, putting her head on top of Saffron's shoulder and putting a hand on her leg. She wanted to crawl into Saffron's lap to cover her, but she couldn't work up the courage.

Jin, however, reached out and wrapped an arm around Saffron's shoulders, pulling her closer down the bench and scooting Romy along with her.

The girl didn't seem to notice, still watching Saffron.

"What do you want?" Romy asked, eyes narrowed.

"I can do an autograph, if you want," Saffron said, smirking a bit.

Romy glared at Saffron, wondering if she knew what was happening and was purposefully egging it on.

How could she?

Well, Romy supposed that Saffron didn't technically have a girlfriend, and she didn't know that Romy liked her, but it still felt like a betrayal.

"You know, I've seen your autographs before," the woman leaned closer, putting her hand on top of Saffron's arm and starting to trail down it with a gentle touch. "Beautiful handwriting from an even prettier girl."

Saffron hesitated for a moment, and her gaze shifted to the side behind her sunglasses.

"Well, I'll let you take home your very own copy of my signature."

The woman leaned closer, and Saffron moved back in her seat.

"That's not exactly what I was hoping to bring home."

Romy moved to stop the other girl, but Jin was there first.

She grabbed the woman's hand and pulled it away from Saffron, just before she could touch her glove.

"Definitely not happening. Move along before you have to go to the infirmary," Jin said lowly, eyes narrowing.

Saffron smirked, glancing at Jin as the girl stalked off.

Jin shot a look at Saffron and rolled her eyes.

"Why is everyone suddenly paying attention to you?" Jin asked, arms crossed.

Romy found herself agreeing, and she moved closer to Saffron.

Saffron glanced down at her, seeming as if she had forgotten that Romy was there.

"I don't know. I'm very noticeable," Saffron grinned, elbowing Romy, "isn't that right?"

Romy flushed.

"I-I guess...," Romy glanced down, and Saffron raised an eyebrow and glanced at her.

"Yeah, yeah," Jin rolled her eyes. "But what did you do?"

"Not her fault," Akio called. "We were on the cover of every paper and on the news, apparently."

"What?" Saffron asked.

"The Adax Band, I mean," Akio said, shrugging.

"We were?" Saffron asked.

Jin was glaring, and she shook her head, rolling her eyes as well.

"Apparently we weren't super well known, but the albums just caught some attention... they're... really popular," Akio said.

"That's an understatement," Rosemary said smugly. "Guess that's why all the girls are all over you, Saff."

"Don't pretend you don't have them either," Saffron said, raising an eyebrow and smirking at her.

Rosemary rolled her eyes, but she looked a little red.

Romy glanced between Jin and Saffron, who were sneaking glances at each other, and found herself smiling and curling up beside Saffron.

Even if a few girls tried to get in the way, it was always going to be the three of them.


	85. The Chase

Saffron raced down the hallway at full speed, her heart racing as she panted for breath.

A window, that's all she needed. She had to find a window.

They'd all be trying to corner her in different hallways, and she was running out of time before someone would-

Jin came out of nowhere, throwing herself from a side hallway and tackling Saffron to the ground.

Saffron cried out in shock, too surprised to do anything while Jin held her wrists down, planting herself on top of her in an effort to keep her in place.

"Just stay still!" Jin cried.

"You can't have them!" Saffron shouted, trying to pull her arms out from Jin's grasp.

Jin had a tight hold on her wrists and pinned them to the ground with force.

"They're not good for you! You need to take them off sometimes, Saff! Dear Dust, did you even take them off to shower?!" Jin cried.

Saffron hesitated.

"It was a fast shower," she offered.

Jin groaned.

"That's not an answer!"

Saffron shrunk back some, and Jin fumbled with the latches on both of her gloves, trying to pry them off.

There were footsteps behind Jin, and she turned to look at her.

Saffron picked her head up off of the ground, frowning when she saw Aella fly into the hallway, Romy on her heels.

Romy skidded to a stop, eyes wide as she saw Jin pinning Saffron to the ground. Her mind stopped in its tracks, and she completely forgot what they were doing.

She had been holding her weapon up, intent on using it on Saffron if the time came, but she almost dropped it as her face flushed a dark shade of red.

Aella didn't seem to notice her panic, and she darted forward, dropping from the air and falling into a barrel roll with practiced ease.

"Romy, what are you waiting for?!" Jin cried, letting out a startled sound as Saffron wriggled beneath her, almost freeing herself.

Jin growled and let all of her weight fall onto Saffron, leaning forward and pushing Saffron's wrists back to the ground as her fingers fumbled with the latches, which kept closing themselves of their own accord.

Romy jumped, face flushing deeper.

"R-right, sorry!"

"Aella, get the boots!" Jin snapped. "Romy, come get her belt!"

Romy hurried forward to do as told, hesitating for just a moment when she reached the pair.

Aella was hurrying to do as told, but the moment she pried open the latch, it snapped closed.

Romy distantly remembered that the latches were made of Dust, which meant that Saffron would have no trouble keeping them closed as long as she wanted to.

Aella seemed to notice that pretty quickly, and she frowned for a moment, considering.

Saffron tried to kick her, but Aella waved her hand quickly, causing a huge gust of wind to come down and hold Saffron in place. While that happened, Aella leapt over and landed on Saffron’s legs, holding them in place while she thought.

Romy stared at Jin and Saffron.

Jin was hovering a few inches above Saffron, holding her in place. There was just enough room between the two of them for Romy to squeeze in and grab the belt, should she act quickly enough.

Romy took a deep breath before she wiggled in between.

She reminded herself of why she was doing this. She was doing this for Saffron, considering she hadn’t been taking off her gloves ever since Aella had scared them awake, and the three of them were trying to fix what they had broken. Well, fix Saffron, that is. Because she was broken.

Romy threw herself on top of Saffron, not letting herself get distracted as she sat down on her, looking down at the belt with an expression of concentration. She couldn’t see as well as she would have liked, but with Jin crouched over her, her stomach grazing Romy’s head, she didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, so she guessed that most of this would be up to her sense of touch.

Great.

She reached down to grab the belt buckle, her fingers fumbling for a moment as she looked for the latch. For just a second, her finger slipped and slid up Saffron’s shirt, but she retracted her hand quickly, face flushing darkly, and got back to her target.

Meanwhile, Aella had reached into her cloak pocket, grabbing a screwdriver. She grinned to herself before she pried open the latch for the first boot. Just a moment before it could snap closed, Aella slammed the end of the screwdriver into the latch and stopped it from closing.

Aella  _ beamed _ in excitement, leaning forward and yanking the boot off of Saffron’s foot. She let out a triumphant cry before she shoved it under her arm and stole her screwdriver back, going to repeat the process of her other shoe.

Romy had finally unlatched the belt, and she glanced up to see Jin’s progress on the gloves.

That… was a mistake.

A grave mistake.

Jin had mostly gotten both of the gloves off, but Saffron was clinging to them with the tips of her fingers.

Saffron glanced down at Romy and the two made eye contact.

Romy froze, her heart freezing in her chest as she stared at her. Her fingers clutched the belt tighter, as if hoping that it would help her, but it only made her realize the gravity of her situation.

Romy had her hands on Saffron’s belt.

She was  _ taking off _ Saffron’s belt.

While Saffron stared at her.

“GUYS! I GOT THE BOOTS!” Aella shouted excitedly, waving them in the air with a grin. She had stood up, getting up from Saffron’s legs, and she looked like she was about to come help Jin with the gloves.

Before Jin or Romy could reply, Saffron brought her right leg up.

Romy, still staring at Saffron with panic in her eyes, didn’t notice until it was too late.

A bootless foot connected with her chest, and she kicked out in shock as she was thrown from Saffron.

Her hands clung to the belt, and it was ripped free as she was sent flying backward, hitting the wall behind her.

She groaned, and Aella let out a gasp.

“Romy!” Aella cried, dashing toward her.

Meanwhile, Saffron had tugged her gloves back on via her Semblance, her wrists coming up to grab Jin’s arms.

She flipped the two of them over, landing on top of Jin. She hesitated for a moment, leaning down a bit, before she stopped.

She threw herself to her feet, taking off at a sprint down the hallway.

As she went, Romy felt the belt wrench from her grasp, and she watched it go with a deep blush and wide eyes.

Meanwhile, the boots tried to pry themselves out of Aella’s hands, but she threw herself to the ground, curling up in a ball around them. She covered the combat boots with her entire body, the wind around her picking up and pressing her against the ground as she clung to the weapons.

“NO!” she cried. “Jin told me to get the boots, I got the boots,  _ you can’t have the boots _ !”

Aella looked like she was fighting a living creature, which writhed and struggled underneath her, but she didn’t let go, the wind pressing her further to the ground as Saffron tried to steal her boots.

“I said no!” Aella screamed. “They’re mine now!”

Saffron stopped at the end of the hallway, glancing back at Aella and holding out her hand and clearly expecting the boots to shoot toward her.

Aella glared back at her, and the boots bucked underneath her.

After a moment, Saffron growled and glared back.

The boots stopped moving so aggressively, and Aella stuck her tongue out.

Before Saffron could think of a way to get her weapons back, another form sprinted down the hallway at full speed.

Romelle let out a loud scream as she threw herself into the air, grabbing onto Saffron’s back and grabbing her tightly.

Saffron cried out in shock, reaching behind her and trying to pry the other girl off of her.

“Hey! Get off!” Saffron cried.

Romelle scrambled on her back like a spider, somehow avoiding all of her attempts to grab her.

“I’ll be taking  _ that, _ ” Romelle said, reaching down and slipping her hand onto Saffron’s waist.

She removed the belt with one smooth action, sliding it off of her waist.

Saffron tried to pull it back with her Semblance.

“AELLA!” Romelle screamed at full volume.

Aella perked her head up, frowning for a moment before her eyes widened.

“Oh!”

She turned her Semblance on and the belt shot toward her.

It stalled in midair, Saffron holding her hand out for her belt.

It moved back and forth as if held in limbo between the two of them.

Romelle thought for a moment before she climbed up Saffron’s back and reached one hand out.

“LET GO!” Romelle shouted, covering both of her eyes.

Saffron screamed in shock, stumbling back.

The belt shot toward Aella, who threw herself into the air to catch it, still curled around the boots. She opened her arms for just a moment and the belt joined the boots.

Aella immediately fell to the ground and curled over onto the weapons, the wind picking up and locking her to the ground.

Romelle tried to grab at her gloves.

Saffron growled and reached back, finally grabbing onto the little gremlin. She got a good grip before she smirked, throwing the girl over her shoulder and slamming her against the ground.

Romelle groaned as the wind was knocked out of her.

Saffron took off at a full sprint down the hall, stepping on Romelle as she passed, and suddenly skidded to a stop.

A millisecond later, Lavey fell from the ceiling, screaming.

“GIMME THE GLOVES!” she screamed.

She fell just an inch in front of Saffron, who had sensed her coming via the Dust she had on her person.

Saffron smirked before she took off again, stepping on top of Lavey as well.

Saffron was about to round another corner, but she skidded to a stop when another figure appeared.

“Give me the gloves, and nobody has to get hurt,” Rosemary growled.

“You of all people know better than to threaten me, don’t you?” Saffron asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Hand ‘em over.”

“You’ll have to take them.”

Rosemary smirked.

“You have no idea how glad I am that you said that.”

A figure appeared at Rosemary’s side, and she grabbed onto Akio’s arm.

A moment later, the two disappeared.

Saffron spun, crouching down in an offensive pose, waiting for the two to reappear.

Suddenly, two people fell from the sky above her, and she let out a cry of shock as the two slammed against her.

As she fell, she tucked one hand underneath her stomach to cover her glove, but Rosemary was able to grab one of her arms and wrench it behind her back.

“Kio!” she snapped.

Akio’s hand shot out, grabbing the glove and unlatching with a practiced motion. He tugged it an inch off of her person before shutting his eyes.

A moment later, Saffron could tell that the glove had been teleported away.

“When did you learn to do that?!” Saffron cried.

Akio just smirked, not willing to tell her that he’d been practicing for quite a while so that he could be able to do that. Rosemary had been  _ very _ insistent.

Aella frowned and glanced down as a glove appeared underneath her.

“GOOD JOB, KIO!” she shouted at full volume, her voice echoing down the hallway.

Saffron growled and threw the two of them off of her before she leapt out the window, her singular glove holding her in the air.

“AELLA!” Rosemary shouted.

“Kinda busy!” Aella cried back, curling up closer to the weapons.

“Too bad!” Akio said, appearing at her side. He put a hand on her shoulder and the two teleported to the window. “Go get her.”

“What?! Why me?! I already got the boots! See?!” she held the boots up by their shoelaces.

“Yes, yes, good job,” Rosemary said impatiently. “Now go get her.”

“I did my part!”

“Yes, surprisingly well, and this whole thing went better than expected, so that’s why you need to get the last glove. And the sunglasses.”

Aella groaned.

“Fine… fine!”

Aella dropped to the ground and opened her cloak. She grabbed the duct tape and began to tape the weaponry to her cloak.

“Is that really necessary?” Rosemary asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Do you want her to get the weapons back?!” Aella cried. “Didn’t think so.”

Aella shoved the duct tape back into her cloak before she took a deep breath.

“Alright… alright!”

Aella threw herself out of the window.

“GIVE ME BACK MY WEAPONS!” Saffron shouted.

“Come and take them!” Aella said in a sing-song voice.

Saffron shot forward in the air, though she was a little wobbly with only one glove.

Aella felt the weapons on her cloak start to pull away, and she used the wind to collapse her cloak around her. The wind picked up around her, creating a whirlwind that whipped around her, stopping the weapons from shooting away.

Saffron groaned, getting distracted.

Aella let out a laugh and a bit of wind smacked Saffron in the face, surprising her. Her sunglasses flew off her face, and Aella caught them with her Semblance, causing them to shoot toward her with impossible speed.

She opened her cloak, letting the sunglasses hit her in the chest, before darting back off inside.

“Bye, Saffy!” she called, sticking out her tongue when she got back into the school.

“Did you get it all?!” Rosemary asked.

Aella plopped down to the ground and duct-taped the sunglasses to her cloak.

“Everything but the glove. I didn’t think that it’d be smart to get her other weapons so close to the last one…”

Aella shrugged, turning when she heard familiar, loud footsteps.

She spun to face Jin, beaming.

She threw open her cloak, showing off the weaponry she had thoroughly duct-taped to her cloak.

“I GOT THE GOODS!”

-

There was a knock on the team JARR dorm room door, and Jin opened the door,

“What do you want?”

“My stuff back.”

“No.”

“Aella!” Saffron snapped. “Give me back my stuff!”

Aella hovered in the air, her legs crossed as she looked at her. Her cloak was clinging tightly to her, and Saffron could feel her weapons there.

Saffron tugged on them with her Semblance.

“BACK OFF! THEY’RE MINE!” Aella screamed.

She fell to the ground and curled up in a ball, her cloak pressed firmly against the ground and stopping her from getting her weapons back.

Saffron groaned.

She gave Jin a pleading look.

“Come on, just give it back,” she whined.

Jin held out her hand.

“Just hand over the glove.”

Saffron’s left hand, which was gloveless, shook as she held her other hand to her chest.

Jin gave her a consoling look, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“You need to get over this, Saff.”

Saffron curled in on herself, looking down.

“Jin, without them, I’m just… I’m-”

“The strongest person I’ve ever met, Saff. And not just physically. You’ve gone through so much, but you’re still standing here. Without that glove, you’re the same person, but there’s just more of you to see, more of you to love.”

Jin grabbed both of Saffron’s hands, and she flushed, glancing down at her glove.

Jin slowly grabbed her glove, unlatching it gently.

Saffron flinched, eyes squeezing shut.

Jin pulled the glove off slowly, and Saffron fell into her arms.

Jin tossed the glove behind her, and Aella leapt onto all fours, guiding the glove into her cloak before she flopped back onto the ground on top of it.

Saffron was officially in the next stage of recovery, and Aella was officially too smug for her own good.


	86. No Means No

Aella was taking diligent notes, not looking up from her papers as her mother, Yang, gave the lecture.

Suddenly, she felt a small tug on her cloak, and she immediately flopped onto the ground, screaming.

Jin glanced at her for a moment before she whipped her head around to glare at Saffron, who cursed under her breath.

“NO MEANS NO, SAFFRON!” Aella shrieked at the top of her lungs, Yang staring at her in shock from the front of the classroom.

“STOP SAYING IT LIKE THAT!” Saffron snapped, her face flushing red as she glared at Aella.

“THEN STOP TRYING TO UNDRESS ME!” Aella screamed.

The entire class was gaping at the two. Aella was curled up in a ball, her cloak pressed against the ground around her as she grasped the weapons.

“YOU’RE THE ONE THAT STOLE MY BELT!” Saffron cried.

“It’s my belt now, bitch,” Aella said.

Romy flushed, her hands fidgeting in her lap. Aella might have stolen the belt the  _ second time, _ with help from Romelle, but she could definitely remember stealing it the first time. With far more clarity than she would have wished.

“It’s not your belt!”

“Then why do I have it?” Aella asked, lifting her cloak just a little bit to show where the belt had been duct taped to her clothing with far more tape than Saffron thought was necessary.

“Cause you’re a damn thief!”

Aella stuck her tongue out at Saffron, curling up in a ball and smirking to herself in a self-satisfied manner.

Yang gaped at her youngest quadruplet.

What… what was she doing? Why did she have Saffron’s weapons taped to her cloak? Why was she laying on the ground like that, curled up in a ball while screaming at Saffron?!

Yang considered asking, but after a moment of consideration, she decided that she didn’t really  _ want _ to know what the answer was, so she quietly waited for Aella to climb back into her seat and get back to taking notes.

-

“Give me back my weapons, Aella,” Saffron growled, crossing her arms as she looked down at the little gremlin.

“You can’t tell me what to do, you’re not my dad,” Aella replied, not looking up from her notes as she hovered through the hallway. Her semblance had been on constantly for the past day, as she was too nervous that Saffron might try to randomly steal her weapons back.

“You don’t have a dad!” Saffron screamed.

“I KNOW! WHICH MEANS YOU CAN’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO, DUMBASS!” Aella shrieked, giving her a grin before she flew off down the hallway, her cloak sticking close to her body as she hovered over her classmates, who were all staring at her in confusion.

-

Saffron’s eyes flashed open, and she glanced around.

Romy was curled up next to Jin, holding her tightly as she slept.

Jin had her arm over Saffron’s waist, but she gently moved it out of her way before she rolled off the bed, landing on all fours before she scuttled across the room like a deranged spider.

She looked up at where Aella was sleeping.

_ Why in the name of  _ **_Dust_ ** _ does she sleep up there?! _ she thought, looking up at the hammock Aella was sleeping in.

She pushed herself to her feet and crouched down for a moment before she threw herself into the air, grabbing onto the hammock lightly and pulling herself up.

She slowly reached her hand over to grab the cloak, but Aella suddenly rolled over dramatically, holding a dart from her blow gun to her throat.

“Drop it.”

Saffron glowered at her.

“Give me back my weapons.”

Aella put one hand to her chin, a look of consideration coming over her features.

“How about we do a compromise? I don’t give you the weapons, and you don’t get stabbed by the blow gun dart.”

“That’s a horrible deal.”

“For you, maybe. I myself find it quite agreeable,” Aella replied, grinning at her.

Saffron scowled and considered for a moment. While she was doing so, Aella reached into her cloak and grabbed something.

Saffron was too busy glaring at her friend to realize that Aella had yanked the boot out of her cloak.

“Let go!” Aella hissed, hitting her over the head with her own boot.

Saffron cried out in shock.

“I said let go, ya creeper!” Aella hissed again, smacking her head with the boot before clawing at her fingers.

Saffron let go of the hammock on accident, falling to the ground with a  **thump** while Aella snickered.

“Damn, thought at least Velvet would have taught you some manners,” Aella muttered to herself, retaping the boot to her cloak before she rolled over. “Climbing into my bed at night, trying to take off my clothes… seriously, what’s wrong with you?!”

Saffron was about to respond, but the lights turned on, and she jumped, turning to glare at Jin, who already looked so disappointed.

“We said you could have it back  _ after _ the outing, and not a minute before, now back to bed before we kick you out of the dorm!” Jin hissed.

Saffron sighed in frustration before she stalked back to the bed.

Aella stuck her tongue out at her with a smirk before she curled up back in her hammock like she couldn’t be happier.

-

Saffron slipped into the dorm room, frowning when she saw Aella.

Aella was floating in midair, her eyes closed with her hands set on her knees, which were crossing in front of her. She looked calm, almost at peace, and she hummed a low tune.

“Give me back my weapons.”

Aella opened one eye, giving her a tender, almost loving smile.

“Oh, but Saffron, can’t you see that true inner peace can only come once you’ve forgone the material world? Once you’ve forsaken all of this meaningless fighting and finally given up your weapons? Only then will you be worthy to carry them.”

“Cut the shit and give me my weapons.”

“Damnit I thought that might work,” Aella muttered, dropping to the ground and curling up in a ball around her cloak.

“Give them back!” Saffron growled.

“NO!”

-

Saffron could sense where her weapons were, and she could hear Aella scuttling around in the ventilation system.

Saffron pounded her fist against the wall.

“Give me back my weapons!”

“NO!” Aella shouted from the vents, her voice echoing through the room.

-

“Can I have my weapons back?” Saffron pleaded, looking up at Aella, who was seated in her hammock while she studied.

“Just a sec,” Aella said, glancing over her shoulder.

Saffron sat up straighter, her eyes going wide.

Was she really going to give them back?!

“Jin!” Aella called. “Can Saffron have her weapons back?!”

“NO!” Jin cried.

Aella turned back to face Saffron, shrugging.

“Hey, sorry, I’m as disappointed as you are,” Aella said, going back to her notes.

-

Saffron was laying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. Teams IMCA, LAAC, and JARR (plus their guests) had decided to get together for a cram session, studying for Weiss and Winter’s class.

“Can I have my weapons back?” Saffron pleaded.

“No,” the entire group chorused together.

This was the tenth time she’d asked since they’d started.

Saffron turned to look at Aella, staring through her cloak at where she could sense the weapons were.

“Stop undressing me with your eyes, man, it’s getting creepy.”

-

Saffron glanced over at Aella.

“Ca-”

“Say it one more time and I light your damn boot on fire.”

Saffron fell silent, and Aella nodded.

-

“I’m serious, Mrs. Adel, she’s trying to assault me!” Aella said dramatically.

“I’m sure she isn’t, Aella,” Velvet said consolingly, putting a hand on Aella’s shoulder.

“She tried to attack me, she threw me out a window on numerous occasions, and last night she tried to sneak into my bed and undress me.”

Velvet hesitated.

“Saffron… what?”

The door suddenly slammed open.

“AELLA, TAKE OFF YOUR CLOAK!”

Velvet froze, staring at Saffron with wide eyes.

Saffron hesitated.

“Uh… hey, mom…”

Saffron turned on her heel and dashed out of the room at full speed.

Velvet paused for just a moment before she took after her daughter.

Aella smirked to herself and floated into the air, opening the vent doors and climbing inside.

That should get her at least thirty minutes of respite, right?

-

“SNEAK ATTACK!” Saffron yelled, dropping from the ceiling.

She had been hunched on the top of the ceiling for the past half hour waiting for Aella to walk by. She had had her legs and arms splayed out to the sides to keep herself from falling, and now Aella was floating above her.

Aella looked up, her eyes going wide.

Just a moment before Saffron could drop on her, a gust of wide hit her in the chest, sending her flying to the side.

She cried out in shock as she was thrown asunder.

“JIN!” Aella called as Saffron flew. “She did it again!”

Jin spun and rolled her eyes as Saffron collided with her.

Jin grabbed Saffron and held her bridal style, shaking her head in frustration as she looked down at her.

“Come on, man!” Aella pleaded. “Can you just give me a break for five minutes?!”

“Just give the weapons to someone else,” Saffron said quickly, eyes lighting up.

“No! You could steal from  _ literally anyone else, _ Saffron!” Aella snapped. “That means I have to carry them! All day! No break!”

Saffron huffed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

Aella groaned and floated down the hallway toward her dorm room while Jin trailed behind, still carrying Saffron.

Aella hadn’t thought that keeping away a dozen or so weapons from a weapons-obsessed emotionally scarred friend would be that difficult, but…

Well, it was!


	87. Lester?

“Are you sure that you’re willing to do this, Coco?” Yatsu asked gently, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“She said yes, now put a baby in her, Yatsu,” Fox said irritably, tapping his foot on the ground as he stared unseeingly at the Dust in his husband’s hand.

Coco grimaced at the word choice.

“Yes, as long as you don’t say it like that  _ ever _ again.”

Yatsu gave her a fond smile before they all sat down together.

Coco glanced and made eye contact with Velvet.

Fox and Yatsu had gotten married a few weeks ago, the two of them had been the maids of honor, and had decided that they wanted a child now instead of later, if only so that they wouldn’t be the absolute youngest in the group. After all, team ATLSS was talking about having a kid, and RIN wouldn’t be far behind, so they wanted to hurry up.

“Are you two sure? If you’re only doing this because you want them to not be younger than the rest, then-”

“First of all, obviously they’re going to fall in love with at least one of the kids in this group, though definitely not yours, all things considered,” Fox said, gesturing blindly at Velvet and their triplets, “and we don’t want to screw them over with age difference. Second of all, we… we’re ready, Coco.”

Coco smiled a bit before she took off her sunglasses, putting them in her pocket. She took a deep breath before she leaned forward, letting Fox and Yatsu put their hands, and the Dust on her stomach.

A moment later, a bright light appeared and surrounded them all.

As it dimmed, Coco put one hand on her stomach gently.

“Do you have any names picked out?” Coco asked.

“Well, it’s going to be Lester if it’s a boy,” Yatsu said, causing Coco to roll her eyes, “but we don’t know what to do about a girl’s name.”

“Of course you don’t. You know, it’s a good thing you have  _ me _ as a surrogate,” Coco said with a grin. “I mean, you need a woman’s touch somewhere.”

“Oh Dust, we made a mistake,” Yatsu muttered. “She has Fox  _ and _ Coco smugness. I knew we should have chosen Velvet.”

Velvet scoffed.

“I carried these three, I’m not doing another.”


	88. Kesey!

Saffron bounced up and down on the tips of her toes, looking around for a moment in excitement.

“Where is she?”

“She’ll be here in a second, calm down.”

“Might not recognize me without my sunglasses,” Saffron muttered, sending a glare at Aella, who was humming to herself and pulling her cloak closer to herself.

“Stop being so dramatic, she’s known you her whole life, she’ll recognize you.”

“Are you talking about Meriah?” Aella asked.

Rosemary raised an eyebrow and Saffron shook her head.

“Well, her too, but I was talking about-”

“SAFFRON!” a familiar voice yelled, accompanied by loud footsteps as someone hurtled toward her.

She spun, grinning enthusiastically as a form threw themself at her.

Saffron reached out to catch her, but she didn’t seem to care. It made sense, all things considered, and the other girl was clutching her tightly.

“Oh, it’s been too long!” the girl cried, her arms holding onto Saffron loosely, though she was stuck to her as surely as glue… perhaps more so.

“Kesey! Good to see you!” Saffron cried, looping her arms around the other girl haphazardly, not worrying in the slightest that she might fall from her perch.

“Hey, stop hogging her, Saff,” Rosemary said, shoving her sister a bit before hugging Kesey from behind.

Kesy moved like a spider, removing one leg, though she balanced perfectly in the air, and wrapped it around Rosemary, pulling her closer.

“Yeah, there’s plenty of me to go around!” Kesey said, grinning.

“I’m sure,” Saffron said, rolling her eyes as she set her head on top of her half-sister’s head.

Kesey was a few months younger than the triplets, her parents being Fox, Yatsu, and Coco, but Saffron and Rosemary said she was the  _ real _ shorter sibling they were supposed to have.

Rosemary started to pull away, but Kesey held her back.

“Kes, you gotta let go,” Rosemary muttered, wincing as a bit of her hair was tugged on.

Kesey shook her head.

“Nope!”

Kesey’s eyes darted across the room to look at the others she hadn’t seen in a bit, and she broke into a grin.

“AELLA!” she called, letting go of both her sisters so that she could fall to the ground. She raced across the room, planting her feet to stop right in front of Aella.

Aella’s eyes widened and she tried to reach out and stop the other girl from falling over, her hand coming to rest on her bare shoulder and sticking there.

Kesey was small, about two inches shorter than Aella herself, which made her an official member of the gremlin committee, with light gray eyes that lit up with excitement. A little bit of her reddish brown hair hanging in her face and falling out of her ponytail. She had tanned skin, though not as much as her father. She wasn’t wearing too much clothing, though that made sense considering her Semblance. Kesey wasn’t wearing shoes or socks, and she had on a thin tank top and shorts. Other than that, she was rather clothing-free… disregarding her black sunglasses, that is.

Aella gave her a small smile and went to move her hand, but it seemed stuck to her shoulder.

Kesey gave her a smirk before she leaned closer, wrapping her arms around the other girl for a hug.

Aella awkwardly put her free arm around the other girl, her hand coming to rest just a little below her shirt. Aella flushed and tried to move her hand away, but it was already stuck on the other girl’s skin, so she was forced to sit there while Kesey curled up against her.

“It’s, uh, good to see you, Kes,” Aella said, giving her the barest of smiles.

“It’s good to see you too, Aella,” Kesey said, putting her hand on Aella’s upper arm and giving it a squeeze.

Aella shifted a bit uncomfortably, but it seemed like Kesey had her Semblance flared. Her knee grazed against Kesey’s own, and the two were stuck together instantly.

Aella looked around for help, but she didn’t find any, and she was forced to just continue smiling at Kesey.

“Did you get taller?” Kesey asked playfully, leaning closer.

Aella flushed.

“No! You can’t take away my gremlin certification!” Aella said, trying to pull away a little from the other girl, but Kesey just followed her movements with a small smirk.

“That’s not what I meant,” Kesey said.

Aella took a subconscious step backward, her eyes widening when she realized that Kesey’s Semblance kept their legs tangled together, and she started to tumble backwards.

Hands reached out and grabbed her on the waist, steadying her.

“Hey, careful,” Zorha said, raising an eyebrow as she looked down at Aella, ignoring Kesey.

“I was plenty careful, Zo,” Kesey replied, rolling her eyes.

“Uh, you mind letting go?” Aella asked, trying not to show Kesey how awkward she felt.

Zohra’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Kesey, and she gave her a small smirk.

“I could, I suppose,” Kesey said, rolling her eyes.

Kesey’s Semblance allowed her to stick her bare skin to any surface, which was why she was wearing so little clothing, and she pulled away from Aella with a small look toward Zohra.

“KESEY!” a voice called.

Kesey rolled her eyes.

“Neglectful family is calling,” she leaned closer and poked Aella on the nose, “don’t forget about me, okay?”

Aella nodded wordlessly before Kesey darted off toward the woman who had called her name.

“You called, home wrecker?” Kesey smirked, stopping with her feet planted to the ground when she reached Coco.

Coco’s eye twitched.

“Stop calling me that. I was a  _ surrogate, _ not a cheat, not a-”

“Slut bag?”

“Stop it!” Coco snapped.

“The reason I’m technically a bastard child, perhaps?”

“No!”

Velvet was holding back laughter at this point, and she glanced at her wife. It was like watching her argue with a mini version of herself.

“The reason my biological fathers turned gay?”

“You of all people should know that’s not a thing!”

“The woman who is sixteen years behind on her child support payments?”

“I don’t pay child support!” Coco snapped.

“That’s what I just said. Glad to see we’re on the same page.”

Saffron let out a “DAMN!” while Rosemary snickered.

“That’s not what I… what I’m trying to say is that I don’t have to pay child support, because I’m not a neglectful parent!”

Velvet put a hand on Coco’s arm and shook her head as if to say that Coco had already lost the argument.

Coco groaned.

“This is almost as bad as when you got child protective services called on me.”

“Oh, that day was  _ great _ !” Kesey said, smirking as she looked up at her biological mother.

“You and I remember that day very differently.”

Kesey laughed before she leaned forward to pat her on the shoulder.

“Good to see you…”

“You to-”

“Even though I expected the next time we got together to see you crashing on the couch downstairs.”

“Damnit!” Coco cried. “Why can’t you ever be nice to me?!”

“I don’t know, why did you have to leave behind a broken family because of your adultery?”

“I didn’t cheat on-”

Velvet pulled her wife closer, shaking her head.

“Remember what we talked about?”

“She’s just sixteen, I can’t legally punch her yet,” Coco said, her voice monotone as if she was repeating something verbatim. “And she doesn’t go to Beacon yet.”

Kesey stuck her tongue out at Coco, who glared at her darkly.

“You’ve got a year, asshole,” Coco growled.

Velvet smacked her arm, and Coco groaned.

“What?! She is!”

“Whether you like it or not, you’re technically her mother, act like it,” Velvet said, her eyes narrowing.

“I’m not related to that thing,” Coco said, glaring down at Kesey, who put a hand to her chest as if she was offended.

“Wow. Just  _ wow. _ I’d call you a neglectful mother again, but I guess you’re just a neglectful person.”

Coco huffed and rolled her eyes, starting to walk away, but Kesey reached out to grab her hand, pulling the woman back with her Semblance.

“What, no hug for your daughter?” Kesey asked playfully.

Coco groaned, but she knew that it was useless to fight against Kesey’s Semblance at this point, so she let her daughter hug her, wrapping one arm around her shoulders, and smiling down at the other girl fondly, now that Kesey couldn’t see her expression.

Meanwhile, Saffron and Rosemary were smiling at the pair of them.

Nora suddenly pulled out a megaphone from behind her back and started to yell into it.

“ALRIGHT! Gather up, we have to divide into groups!” she called, grabbing a bucket, which was filled with sticks that she had color coded. “No complaining, no moaning, you get what you get! And you _DON'T_ pitch a fit!”

For some reason, almost all of them had a sense of foreboding about it.


	89. The Innocent, the Awkward, and the Frustrated

Raelynn muttered under her breath as she stalked down the street.

She wasn’t in Braelyn’s group, and  _ Braelyn _ was in a group with Abdera, Aella, Zohra, and Kesey.

So.

Yeah.

That was frustrating.

She kicked at the ground under her foot, and she glanced around at the group.

Colby was supposed to be here, but he’d stayed back at the room, so it was Raelynn, Rosemary, Akio, and Ilesha together.

She wasn’t exactly sure where they were going, but Ilesha was leading the way with a wide grin.

Raelynn wished she was with Braelyn, making sure that everything went according to plan, but instead it was just Braelyn, and that was  _ horrible. _

She could still remember the smug smirk on her girlfriend’s face as they had parted, and she wanted to punch something.

Weiss started to say something about them going to a store, perhaps the mall, but Akio and Rosemary were sharing a smirk.

“Only couple here?” Akio whispered, leaning closer and wrapping an arm around his girlfriend.

“A shame, really,” Rosemary agreed, pulling closer to her boyfriend and running one hand down his chest purposefully.

“I know,” he said, pulling her against his side and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“You missed,” Rosemary said, tilting her head up and grabbing his face with both of her hands, pulling her closer and connecting their lips gently.

Weiss watched with absolute horror on her face, and she took a subconscious step backward.

Ilesha and Raelynn both shifted uncomfortably, sharing a glance.

Was this how bad they were with their respective girls?

Raelynn had always  _ loved _ making people uncomfortable by practically throwing herself in Braelyn’s lap, but now she could finally understand why it might actually be upsetting for someone.

“I think today’s going to be  _ great, _ ” Rosemary said, leaning closer and putting her head on his shoulder.

Akio agreed, and Weiss grimaced.

“I… I’m going to go to this cafe,” she scribbled down an address and passed it over to the others, “so if you need me, I’ll be there. Meet me there before you’re ready to go back.”

Weiss hurried off quickly, not looking behind her. She was tired of being the one that had to watch her children make out with their girlfriends and boyfriends.

Rosemary and Akio shared a smirk before turning to the group.

“I heard that there’s a botanical garden nearby. Want to go?” Rosemary asked.

“Aw, that sounds so  _ romantic, _ Rosey, let’s go!”

The other two shared a look of horror before they trailed after the couple.

-

“These… these flowers are pretty,” Raelynn said, gesturing at the yellow ones and trying to ignore Rosemary and Akio, who were making out behind them.

Ilesha shifted through the pamphlet that she had gotten from the front desk.

“And those over there symbolize, the daffodil, unrequited love.”

“Well, that’s nice.”

“I know, right?” Ilesha asked with a small smirk, leaning closer to Raelynn for a moment as they distracted themselves.

“Why would you buy them for someone? Just hand ‘em over like ‘well, you broke my heart, but here’s some flowers!’” Raelynn said.

“Sounds like something that Romy would do,” Ilesha said, elbowing her friend.

Raelynn winced as Rosemary pushed Akio against the railing, pulling closer.

Ilesha pointed at other flowers, giving Raelynn an excuse to pull away from the couple.

“Those are the chrysanthemums, which symbolize death.”

“That’s it?”

“Yup. Just death. Nothing special.”

“That’s nice.”

Raelynn groaned.

Today was going to be a  _ long  _ day.

-

“Can’t believe I got stuck with the kids,” Lavey muttered to herself.

“Can’t believe we got stuck with the grandma,” Arlen replied, snickering and pulling closer to Cassandra, who gave him a fond smile before she began to giggle.

Lavey was in a group with Bentley Vine, Cassandra Vine, Barrie Valkyrie, and Arlen Ajax.

The children of the family.

“What?!” Lavey all but shrieked. “I’m not a grandma!”

“You kind of are, sweetie,” Ruby said, putting a consoling hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

Lavey spun, giving her mother a look of betrayal.

“What?! You’re my  _ actual mother, _ Ruby Belladonna-Schnee! You can’t call me a grandma!”

“She totally can, because you’re totally a grandma,” Cassandra replied, waving her hand as she leaned against Arlen, who gave her a small smile before staring at the ground.

Lavey groaned. She couldn’t believe the chaperone, her own  _ mother, _ was betraying her like this.

-

“Told you she was a grandma,” Bentley said, rolling her eyes.

Lavey gaped at him.

“What?! What’s so lame about going to a Huntsman and Huntress museum! Look at these weapons!” she cried, gesturing around the museum. There were dozens of fossils and weapons hung on the walls, as well as the pictures of different people who had killed these creatures in their days.

“It’s  _ all _ lame, and the fact that you have to ask that is what makes you a grandma,” Barrie said, shrugging.

Lavey gasped in offense, glaring at her young friend.

“That’s not true! It’s awesome! Back me up, mom!” Lavey cried.

“I don’t know, sweetie, it’s pretty boring,” Ruby said, smirking as she swayed back and forth.

“You’re the one that brought me here the first time!” Lavey cried.

“And look at that? I’m clearly about to be a  _ great _ grandma, considering how much of a grandma you’re being right now,” Ruby pointed out.

Lavey held in a scream of frustration as she glared at her mother.

-

Crystal looked around the group, her eyes wide.

_ Fuck. _

She was in a group of  _ children. _

Or, well, the  _ innocent _ people in this entire family.

On her left was Cooper and his mother, Penny, who were talking to each other excitedly, holding hands as they did so.

On her right, Meriah was leaning against her brother, Auburn, while he held hands with Clover, who suddenly offered to give Meriah a piggyback ride.

Meriah let out a cheer of excitement and scrambled up his back, stopping at his shoulders.

Crystal watched the group for a long moment before she groaned.

Cursing.

She couldn’t curse.

The one thing she had been looking forward to doing after everything, considering Ilesha got upset when she did and Lavey was a little damn rat that almost told on her like a little shitty snitch.

So she needed an excuse not to talk.

Where would she not have to talk?

“A movie!” Crystal cried suddenly.

They all turned to look at her.

“How about we go see a movie?”

They others agreed quickly, though Meriah on the condition that Clover carry her the entire way there on his shoulders, which he happily did, holding Auburn’s hand the entire way there.

-

Cooper was leaning against his mother, one hand on hers while he listened to her thoughts, as he could with any machine. He would giggle every once in a while and lean closer to whisper something back. The two were too damn cute, in Crystal’s opinion.

Meanwhile, Meriah was seated in Clover’s lap, despite having a chair of her own, and she was watching the screen with an excited look to her eyes as she munched on her popcorn.

Behind Meriah, Clover and Auburn were sneakily whispering to each other and giggling about something that Crystal couldn’t, and frankly did want to, hear.

She held in a scream.

A movie.

That’s all she had to get through, and then she’d be good.

At least it was  _ kind of _ an interesting movie?

She’d been right about thinking today would go horribly wrong.


	90. The Zoo

Aella turned to face her group members, tilting her head to the side slightly in confusion when she saw that most of them were smiling at her.

She didn’t know why she was being stared at, but she smiled back and hurried over to the group, her face turning a light shade of red.

The group consisted of Zohra, Braelyn, Abdera, Kesey, and Aella herself.

Their chaperon was Sun, and he set a hand on top of Aella’s shoulder with an excited grin.

“Where do you guys want to go?” he asked, his tail wagging with excitement as he looked around the group.

“Uh…,” Aella looked around, eyes widening in surprise when she saw that Kesey had moved closer to her.

“Yeah, where do you want to go?” Kesey asked, grinning back at her and leaning a little closer.

Zohra crossed her arms in frustration, glancing around the group.

Sun pulled out his scroll and started to look at the things on it, clearly trying to get an idea on where they could go. After a moment, he grinned, his tail wagging once more.

“The zoo! How about we go to the zoo?!” he cried.

Aella looked up in excitement, getting completely distracted from Kesey, and turned to look at him.

“The zoo?! I’d love to go to the zoo!” she said enthusiastically. She darted over, letting the wind lift her into the air so that she could get a better look at his scroll. She looked around the group, growing apprehensive suddenly. “Can… can we go to the zoo?”

“Sure, we can go to the zoo,” Zohra said, smiling at her as she watched.

“I’d  _ love _ to go to the zoo with you, Aella,” Kesey said with a small grin.

Braelyn glanced around the group before she shrugged.

“I’m down,” she said.

“Yeah, I like the zoo,” Abdera said with a small smile, glancing over at Sun, who immediately took off, Aella on his heels, starting to float in the air.

The others groaned before they started to trail after them.

Kesey smirked and took off at a sprint, chasing after Abdera.

Abdera was the only child in this group that was of an above average height, or even an average height, and Kesey leapt into the air, placing her palm on the small of Abdera’s back.

Abdera cried out in shock as Kesey quickly climbed up her back via her Semblance, reaching her foot up from her friend’s leg to her shoulder in a move that should have been impossible, and then balancing precariously on her shoulders.

Abdera stumbled a bit, but managed to keep running. Meanwhile, Kesey leapt into the air, her hand reaching out and grazing Aella’s fingertips.

Aella cried out in shock, almost falling from the air, as Kesey used her Semblance to cause the two to stick together.

“Mind giving me a ride?” Kesey asked, raising an eyebrow as she smirked up at the other girl.

Aella frowned for a moment before she shrugged, letting the wind lift her into the air and hold her next to her.

Kesey looked around for a moment.

“You know, on second thought, this is  _ really _ high, you might need to make sure that I’m okay,” Kesey said, tugging on Aella and pulling herself closer to the other girl, sticking to her via her Semblance.

Zohra glared up at the two of them, rolling her eyes at the pair before she ran faster, wanting to get to the zoo quicker.

-

Aella grinned in excitement and dropped to the ground, letting Kesey go.

Kesey ran her hand down Aella’s arm for a moment before she grinned.

“Alright! I’ll get the maps!” Sun cried, racing over and passing out the papers.

Aella bounced up and down on the tips of her toes with a grin.

“You’re really excited, aren’t you?” Zohra asked, watching her with a small smile.

Aella glanced over and flushed a bit when she saw the raised eyebrow.

“Yeah… I know it’s silly, but the animals are just so  _ cool _ and  _ adorable _ ! I can’t wait to see them!”

“It’s not silly,” Zohra said, bumping their shoulders together. “I actually think it’s kind of cu-”

Sun dashed over and grabbed Aella by the hand, dragging her in.

“Come on, guys! Before all of the animals fall asleep!” Sun cried.

“Actually, a lot of them are probably nocturnal, and if we take out time-”

“Nobody wants your nerd facts, Zo,” Braelyn said with a small smirk.

“You’re literally an owl Faunus,” Zohra pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s racist,” Braelyn said, reaching out and threading their fingers together.

Zohra’s eyes widened and she glanced down for a moment.

“Why’d you do that?” Zohra asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Racism. You’re in prison for racism.”

“Your hand is prison now? What would Raelynn say about that?”

“She has a life sentence, but she’s not here to say anything, now is she?” Braelyn asked, leaning closer to bump against her shoulder.

Zohra hesitated, glancing around as if she half expected for Raelynn to appear and start chasing her through the zoo.

She didn’t, and Zohra hesitated for a moment before she glanced back at Braelyn.

Abdera, meanwhile, was hurrying to catch up with Sun and Aella, just like Kesey.

Zohra and Braelyn shared a glance before they took off too.

Zohra expected her friend to let go of her, but Braelyn held on, giving her a small smile before they caught up to the rest of the group.

“Oh my Dust!” Aella screamed. “Look at them! They’re so  _ cute, _ aren’t they?!”

Sun leaned over the railing and agreed quickly, eyes lighting up in excitement.

In front of her, there was a cage filled with dozens of tiny elf owls, which hooted loudly.

They flew around her and she let out a giggle, staring up at them like they were magic.

“They’re just so cute!”

Braelyn glanced around before her gaze settled on Aella, and she found herself smiling fondly as the other Faunus leaned further on the railing.

“You think?” Braelyn asked, leaning on the railing next to her.

“Oh, definitely!”

Aella then jumped off of the railing and dashed down further into the zoo, causing the others to chase after her.

Aella was about to reach the next exhibit, but she skidded to a stop when she heard a voice.

“Ah, come on,” a man cried, kicking at the tire of the gold cart.

Aella frowned in confusion, jogging over to him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Damn thing won’t start.”

Aella reached into her cloak, bypassing the numerous weapons she had stolen from Saffron, and grabbed her tools.

“I’ll have it set up in no time, sir!” Aella cried, dashing over and sliding under the cart.

“What’s going on?” Braelyn asked, crossing her arms as she watched Aella disappear under the golf cart.

“I’m fixing something!” Aella said excitedly.

She reappeared from under the cart and looked up at her friends.

“You know, that’s… that’s what I’m best at! Fixing stuff, I mean. I really like making things better, because it makes people feel better! I’m… not always the best with people, but anything to make them happy!”

“That’s very sweet of you, Aella,” Zohra said, leaning on the fence a bit so she could watch Aella disappear.

Braelyn raised an eyebrow.

“That is  _ very _ nice, Aella. And you’re  _ very _ good at it,” Kesey said.

“Aw, thanks!” Aella said, though her voice sounded a bit strained as she messed with something under the cart, reaching into her cloak and grabbing something else.

Abdera’s eyes were wide with shock as Aella scrambled around underneath the car, using her Semblance instead of something for her to roll around on.

A few minutes later, Aella reappeared, pushing herself to her feet. She had some sweat on her face, though not much, and a bit of grease was stained on her hands, which she wiped on her pants.

“It should be working now, try it,” Aella said, wiping her hands again as she smiled to herself.

The man hurried to do as Aella told, eyes widening in shock when the cart started.

“How did you-”

“She fixes things, it’s what she does,” Kesey cut in, giving Aella a small smile as she leaned back on the fence.

Aella smiled shyly and hooked a bit of her white and black hair behind her ear.

“Yeah… it is.”

She turned to face the rest of the group and let out a breath, wiping the sweat off of her forehead.

Zohra froze for a moment, her eyes going wide, and she leaned back on the railing. Her hand slipped and she fell backward on the railing, hitting the protection fence. She flushed red in embarrassment.

Meanwhile, Kesey would have had the same fate, but she turned on her Semblance just in time to make sure her hand stayed where it was supposed to be.

Abdera had just stood straighter, her gaze focused on Aella as she reached her arms over her head to stretch, her cloak billowing out around her for once and revealing the rest of her form.

Braelyn had just stood in the same position, but her eyes had gone wide with shock as she seemed to both be staring at and through Aella.

“You guys alright?”

They all jumped at her voice, nodding.

“Yeah, great,” Kesey said, smirking back at Aella.

-

“Oh!” Aella cried, dashing down the zoo. “Those are adorable too! Why is everything here so cute?!”

The others jogged to catch up, freezing when they saw what animal Aella was looking.

Vipers.

Long venomous vipers that were curled up in their cage and watching the people that passed them.

“Aren’t they adorable?!” Aella cried.

“No.”

Aella glanced over at Zohra, eyes wide.

“I think they’re  _ adorable _ !” Aella cried, leaning closer to the fence and cooing as they watched.

“They’re venomous snakes, Aella.”

“Cute venomous snakes.”

“There’s nothing cute about those things,” Zohra said, crossing her arms.

“Well then you’re clearly not looking close enough, because I think they’re adorable.”

The others crowded around Aella, who leaned over the railing further.

Suddenly, one of the vipers struck toward her, hitting the glass wall.

Everyone except Aella jumped, and Braelyn started to laugh after a moment.

“Did you see it hit its face?! Priceless!”

“Do you think the little snakey snake is okay?!” Aella cried, leaning further.

Abdera’s hand shot out and caught Aella before she could fall over the railing and hit the glass, and Aella gave her a thankful grin before turning back to the viper, which was glaring at her.

-

Aella strained to see over the fence, frowning.

“You need a lift?” Sun asked, glancing down at her.

Aella’s eyes widened in excitement, and she nodded.

“Cool, I can…,” Sun trailed off, thinking. He reached one hand up to his shoulder and held it. “You know what? My shoulder is  _ really _ hurting right now, so how about you ask Abdera?”

Abdera’s eyes darted to Aella, and she smiled.

“I’d be glad to, Aella,” she said.

Aella beamed and then hurried over, scurrying onto her back and sitting on her shoulders to look at the bear exhibit. She seemed to really like those, something about them being one of her favorite animals.

Kesey rolled her eyes and scrambled up the fence via her Semblance, hanging idly so she could see them better. Meanwhile, Braelyn had flown into the air via her wings, and she was watching with a small smile on her face, though it was hard to tell where her gaze was focused.

The only one that couldn’t see was…

Zohra.

Kesey sighed before she let go with her hands, falling back and letting her feet rest on the bars. She crossed her arms against her chest as she went perpendicular to the fence. She looked up at Zohra, raising an eyebrow.

“Need a boost?” she offered, giving her the smallest of smiles and a wink.

Zohra considered for a moment before she sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Think you can lift me?”

“Oh, please!” Kesey cried, rolling her eyes. “Just climb up, gremlin.”

Zohra sighed before she grabbed her around the shoulders and held on.

Kesey pulled herself back up to the fence and grabbed on with her hands, Zohra watching the bears over her shoulder with a small smile.

-

They closed down the zoo at ten, and Aella checked her scroll.

“Oh Dust, I was supposed to get back early to give Saffron her weapons…”

“Is she still bugging you about that?” Kesey asked irritably. She pulled out her scroll and sent a message to her sister before she nodded to herself, clearly proud. “Don’t worry about her, Aella, she won’t bother you. Besides, it wouldn’t take too long to get some ice cream, would it?”

Aella considered for a moment, and then ten minutes later the group was in the ice cream parlor talking about anything that came to mind.

Suffice to say, they did  _ not _ get back by the agreed upon time, and Saffron would have to wait for her weapons back.


	91. The Carnival

Romy glanced over at her sister, raising an eyebrow.

_ Are we doing this now? _ she questioned in her head.

_ Definitely. _

_ Is Adolpha on board? _

_ You know her. For Dust’s sake, you had a crush on her for a few months, right?  _ Romelle replied.

_ Can you  _ **_please_ ** _ stop bringing that up?! I like… I’ve moved on, okay? _

_ You mean you fell head over heels for two of the dumbest people I know? _

_ They’re not stupid, Romelle. _

_ Sure, sure. On three? _

_ Fine. _

_ Don’t forget to connect them! _ Romelle said in a sing-song voice.

Romy’s face flushed and she sent a glare at her sister.

_ I wasn’t going to. _

_ Oh, I’m sure you weren’t going to miss  _ **_that_ ** _ opportunity. _

Romy decided to ignore that comment, if only because she knew there was no response that would save her the embarrassment.

The two counted down in their heads.

“Alright!” Ilia looked down at the paper she was holding. “Where do you five want to go-”

_ SCATTER! _ Romy cried in their heads.

Ilia heard loud footsteps around her and her eyes shot up. She saw that everyone had taken off in different directions, most of them laughing as they went.

“Hey!” Ilia cried, eyes wide. “Get back here!”

None of them turned around, and she sighed.

She would have expected better from Adolpha at the least, and Jin too! The twins and Saffron… well, maybe not as much, but still!

She tried to figure out how to track them down, but she knew that there was no chance she would be able to find more than one of them, so she sighed in defeat, slumping and hitting the ground while she ran a hand through her hair.

Welp. This was going to be a long wait.

-

_ Where are you guys? _ Saffron asked. She was enjoying the use of Romy’s Semblance. She hadn’t had the chance to use it much in her life, but she had gotten the chance several times in the past few months, which had been nice.

_ Are you already there? _ Jin asked incredulously.

Saffron glanced back at the carnival, nodding before she remembered that Jin wouldn’t be able to see her.

_ Yeah. It’s not that far. _

_ Didn’t you run in the opposite direction?!  _ Adolpha cried.

_ Yeah. _

_ Then how did you get there so quick?! _ Romelle snapped.

_ She probably flew, _ Romy sent, and Saffron realized that there was an odd tone in her voice that she didn’t recognize.

_ Yeah, I did. You know, cause I have the best Semblance ever, _ Saffron replied.

_ You really don’t, _ Jin sent, and Saffron could tell she was rolling her eyes.

_ What is with you and trying to deny my amazingness? One could almost think that you didn’t appreciate me. _

Saffron couldn’t see her, but it was, once again, clear that she was rolling her eyes.

A few minutes later, the others appeared around her, and Saffron grinned.

For a moment, she forgot about her missing weapons, and she let herself relax for the first time since Aella had taken them.

Her hands still shook, Saffron half thought that they always would when she didn’t have her gloves, but she didn’t care as they went to buy their tickets.

The person handing them out looked at her hands for a moment before shrugging and handing them over.

Saffron hesitated for a moment before she passed them to the group, almost dropping a few that were meant for Romelle.

_ What’s wrong with her? _ Romelle thought to Romy.  _ Is it getting worse? _

_ I… I’m not sure, _ Romy replied.

_ And you  _ **_have_ ** _ to like that one? _ Romelle asked.

Romy glared at her.

_ Yes! She’s… _

Romy trailed off when she saw Saffron trying to hold her hand still before growling and shoving it in her pocket.

Romy hesitantly walked toward the other girl, holding out her hand for her.

Saffron thought for a moment before she slid her hand into Romy’s own, giving her a small smile before turning back to the group.

Romelle smirked at her sister before she grabbed Adolpha, dragging her into the carnival.

As they entered, Saffron rubbed at her arm with one hand.

“I told you to bring your jacket, but you just couldn’t listen could you?” Jin said, rolling her eyes.

“In my defense, I didn’t think it was going to be cold.”

“I told you it was going to be!” Jin snapped.

“Well, I didn’t think it would be! I told you it was going to be warm and you brought a jacket, so who  _ really _ didn’t listen here?”

“Still you.”

Saffron huffed and rolled her eyes, but Romy gently pulled closer.

She wasn’t sure why, but tonight felt… different. Like there was something in the air that was making her more bold.

Something about the setting, perhaps. It was romantic and pristine, perfect and open, almost like there were two couples here, enjoying the solitude away from everyone else. The carnival might be packed with people, but to them, it felt like only the five of them were here.

-

“Are you sure?” Jin asked gently.

Saffron nodded, sliding her hand out of Romy’s and readying herself.

“Ma’am, please move it along,” the attendant said.

Saffron rolled her eyes and readied her stance before she swung her arm.

She had a skee ball in her hands, and she was going to try and get a prize from this greedy man, as she had called him on several occasions in their heads.

She took a deep breath, her hand stilling for a moment, before she reared forward, throwing the ball.

It rolled up the skee ball court until it landed on the one hundred slot.

The lights lit up and a loud, annoyingly high pitched blaring sound emanated through the surrounding area.

Romelle was currently perched on Adolpha’s shoulders, the other girl having carried her around through the whole carnival, and she leaned down quickly, covering Adolpha’s ears just as the sirens started to blare.

Adolpha glanced up and gave her girlfriend a fond smile when the sound quieted down.

The man behind the counter stared at Saffron in shock, and she gave him a self-satisfied smirk.

“I’ll take that one,” Saffron said, pointing at a stuffed animal on the highest shelf.

The man handed to her, and Saffron stole it from his grasp, turning around with a smug expression on her face.

Romy got a good look at the stuffed animal, and she heard her sister start to laugh.

It was a small, fluffy red panda with a wide grin on its face. Its tail hung down a fair way, as if it was supposed to wrap around someone’s neck.

“You know, I already have one of those,” Saffron’s red panda tail curled around her waist as if to emphasize that fact, “so how about you take it?”

Romy froze when Saffron held the red panda out to her expectantly.

Romy’s face flushed red as she hesitantly grabbed the stuffed animal, hugging it to her chest.

Saffron gave her a warm smile before glancing back at Jin and giving her a wry grin.

“Thanks…,” Romy said quietly, wondering if everyone else could see how red her face was.

_ Oh, we definitely can, _ Romelle thought to her.

For a moment, Romy panicked and considered that she might have sent her thoughts to all of them, but Romelle rolled her eyes.

_ Relax, I just know you  _ **_far_ ** _ too well. Speaking of which… _

“Hey, you guys wanna go on a roller coaster?!” Romelle cried excitedly, leaning down so that she could look at Adolpha.

Adolpha grinned at her, nodding.

“If you want to, babe,” Adolpha said.

“Great! You guys?” Romelle asked, turning to look at Saffron and Jin.

Romy tried to say no, but she found the words dying on her tongue when she saw the excited look in Saffron’s eyes, her tail twitching a bit behind her. It did that when she was excited, though she hardly let it wag fully.

“Yeah!” Saffron said enthusiastically, her gaze darting to Jin.

“Sure, why not,” Jin said, shrugging.

Romy forced a smile and nodded.

“Yeah… why not…”

She heard her sister cackling in her head, and she sent her a scathing glare.

Unlike Romelle, Romy  _ hated _ roller coasters, and she did everything in her power to avoid them, but when both Saffron and Jin wanted to go on the roller coaster, she couldn’t find it in her to fight, so she let out a sigh, resigning to her fate.

“Great! Dolphie, onwards!” Romelle cried, pointing dramatically toward the roller coaster.

_ I hate you. _

_ No you don’t, _ Romelle thought dismissively.

_ Can’t you let me have this? _

_ No. _

Romy turned, hoping to maybe hold Saffron’s hand again to keep it from shaking (or, at least, that would be the excuse she would give if asked), but she saw that Jin and Saffron were already walking together and whispering about something.

Romy didn’t mind too much, content to walk behind them and watch the pair with a fond smile on her face. When they couldn’t see her, it was perfectly fine for her to stare at them.

_ GAAAAAAAY! _ Romelle thought.

_ You’re literally on Adolpha’s shoulders playing with her hair. _

_ Yeah, but at least I’m gaying successfully. _

_ Because you’re actually with the girl? _

_ Pfft, what?! No, because I chose the  _ **_perfect_ ** _ one, and I got her. See? _

Romelle leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Adolpha’s head.

Adolpha grinned like an idiot, almost bumping into something as she looked up at her girlfriend.

Romelle’s eyes shifted to clocks, letting Romy know that she was listening to the ticking in her head, wondering when the big event was going to happen.

She was thinking that it would likely be tomorrow, based on the volume of the ticking, but she was distracted when Adolpha spoke up.

“You know,” Adolpha was craning her neck to stare up at Romelle with that lovesick look of hers, “I really like it when you use your Semblance.”

Romelle frowned in confusion.

“Why?” she asked.

“Your eyes look even prettier,” Adolpha replied.

Romelle flushed, Romy laughing in her head.

_ Who’s the disaster gay now? _

_ The one holding a physical embodiment of her crush on Saffron, _ Romelle snapped, though it didn’t seem like she was paying much attention to the conversation.

“You’re a dork, you know that?” Romelle finally said, though her face was still red.

Adolpha laughed and turned back to look where she was going, if only so she didn’t drop her girlfriend.

“Yeah, but now I’m  _ your _ dork.”

“Damn right,” Romelle muttered, running her hand through Adolpha’s hair fondly.

Romy noticed that Romelle’s eyes stayed in their clock form after the conversation, and she had a feeling they’d be doing that for a while.

-

Romy took a deep breath as she took a seat on the roller coaster.

She was in the seat between Jin and Saffron, and she held onto the bars tightly.

It really wasn’t her fault that she was scared of roller coasters.

She blamed genetics, honestly.

How could she be expected to like roller coasters when the safety harness hardly ever protected her? She was tiny, abnormally so, and she hated that all roller coasters seemed to be built for  _ giants. _

Giants like Jin and Saffron, who seemed to have no issue with the safety harness, because it was perfectly safe for anyone over five feet tall.

Romelle didn’t seem bothered by this, however, considering she had a content smile as she leaned against Adolpha’s side, her arms wrapped around her bicep.

“You alright?” Saffron asked, leaning down a bit. She wrapped her arm around Romy’s shoulders. Romy noticed that she was still wearing the jacket she had bought for her a few hours ago when they had first gotten here, a few minutes after she had complained about it being cold outside to Jin.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Romy lied.

Saffron didn’t pull away, however, and Romy let out a sigh of relief.

It turned into a quiet curse as the roller coaster started.

“Don’t worry,” Saffron said with a smirk, “I can protect you.”

Romy flushed and ducked her head, looking away from Saffron.

The roller coaster went about how Romy expected it to.

Romelle had a great time, though she might have pretended to be just a bit scared so that Adolpha would hold her closer, Saffron cheered loudly the entire time, and Romy was forced to curl up beside Jin and squeeze her eyes shut in fear.

Suffice it to say, Romy hadn’t exactly liked the ride, but at least it was over.

When they got off the roller coaster, the carnival was already closing down, and Romy checked the time on her scroll.

“Oh, it’s getting late, we should probably get you back, Saff,” Romy said, glancing over at her.

Saffron was still looking around with a small smile on her face, and Romy noticed that her hands had stopped shaking too noticeably.

“Yeah, I guess,” Saffron said, though she looked a little bit sad about it.

“Did you have a good time?” Jin asked hesitantly, sharing a glance with Romy.

“Yeah!” Saffron said, sliding her hand into Jin’s and swinging their arms back and forth.

“Even without your gloves?” Jin pointedly continued.

Saffron hesitated.

“I… I guess I did.”

Romy smiled at her fondly, and Romelle coughed.

In between her coughs, Romy swore she could hear the word “gay!”

Romy glared at her sister for a moment, but she was quickly distracted as Saffron used her free hand to grab onto hers.

Romy found herself having to agree…

Tonight  _ had _ been a good night.

There was a  _ ding! _ and Saffron pulled away from Jin for a second to check her scroll.

Her face went pale as she read the message.

Kesey: If you ruin this night for me, I SWEAR I will steal your kneecaps. You have been warned, giant.

Saffron slowly put her scroll back in her pocket.

“So… we’re  _ not _ messaging Aella until she gets back to the dorm…”


	92. The K Gig

Romy glanced around the gig for a moment with a smile on her face.

Tonight was the night.

Tonight was the night that she was going to ask out Saffron and Jin, the night she was going to tell them that she was in… that she had feelings for them, that she had for a while.

She had dressed up a bit tonight in a nice skirt, though it wasn’t too fancy so that her intentions weren’t too clear, and Jin had given her a wide grin when she saw it.

Romy had flushed in embarrassment, staring down at the ground with a fond smile on her face.

Saffron jogged over to join them, and she had on a wide grin.

“Hey, Romy! Jin.”

“H-hey, Saffron,” Romy said, smiling shyly up at the other girl.

“Are you wearing a skirt?” Saffron asked. Romy flushed when she noticed it. “It’s cold in here, Romy. Here, take my coat.”

Romy stared up in shock as Saffron shrugged off her jacket, the one that Romy had bought for her last night.

“T-thanks,” Romy said, reaching out and grabbing the jacket before she wrapped it around herself. It had the strong smell of Saffron’s perfume after only a few hours of her having it, and she sighed.

“Yeah, make sure you stay warm,” Saffron said, patting her on the head before ruffling her hair.

“I-I’ll try.”

At the moment, Romy couldn’t imagine how she had been cold, considering her face felt like it was on fire.

“Good luck,” Jin said, giving Saffron a small smile.

Saffron grinned at her and leaned closer, giving her a quick hug before she pulled away, dashing toward the stage.

As people cheered, several reaching out toward the rock star, Saffron pushed off the ground with her boots, having gotten them back from Aella, and using the Gravity Dust in them. She was happy to have them back, and she grinned to herself as she reached the stage.

“Can you see?” Jin asked.

Romy leaned to see over the crowd.

“No.”

“Here,” Jin offered, reaching down and grabbing Romy around the waist and lifting her into the air.

She set her on her shoulders and let her get a better view of the stage.

She flushed and glanced down at Jin.

“That better?” Jin asked.

“Y-yeah,” Romy replied, leaning down a bit so that she could see the other girl better. Her and Saffron were the real view here.

“Are you sure?” Jin questioned, glancing up at her.

Romy flushed and nodded.

“Good.”

Romy took a deep breath to calm her nerves before she watched Saffron. She wasn’t the lead singer this time, something that Romy thought was idiotic. She’d listened to  _ every _ Adax band song in existence, and all of the ones with Saffron as lead were the best. Ilesha was nowhere near as good as Saffron.

Saffron tilted her sunglasses down as she played and winked at the crowd, but Romy knew it was directed her way.

Her face flushed a dark shade of red and she leaned down a bit closer to Jin as they watched her.

-

It was most of the way through the gig when Jin let her down, the two of them heading toward the bar.

They sat down at the bar, taking a break as the band got the next song set up.

“What about you?” the bartender asked, gesturing at Jin.

Jin jumped, looking away from Romy.

“What? Oh, uh, Jin.”

The bartender glanced down at her before she left for behind the bar.

Jin shook her head before turning back to Romy, though her gaze kept shifting to the stage, where Saffron was getting the equipment ready.

A few minutes later, the woman reappeared and set a drink in front of Jin.

Jin jumped in surprise before she looked over.

“Thanks, uh,” she looked at the woman’s name tag, “Kylee.”

“No problem,” the woman said, turning on her heel and stalking down the bar, though she did cast a glance at the stage. “You know, they’re better than the Thunder Bears.”

“Of course they’re better,” Romy said quickly… though, to be fair, she didn’t know what Kylee was talking about. She just knew that Saffron’s band had to be better.

Kylee raised an eyebrow before she turned away, focusing on the other customer.

“It was nice of her to give me a free drink, think it’s sprite?” Jin asked.

“Only one way to find out,” Romy said, though she was hardly listening. She had to go get the… things.

“I guess that’s true,” Jin replied, shrugging as the other girl stood up, hurrying over to the side of the side of the bar.

She skidded to a stop next to the potted plant, reaching behind to grab what she had been hiding.

A bouquet of flowers, which were red and yellow peonies. Peonies were meant to symbolize luck and love, which was exactly what she was hoping for this evening.

Meanwhile, at the bar, Jin had taken a giant gulp of her drink. It hadn’t tasted much like sprite, but Jin hadn’t wanted to be rude, so she’d downed the whole thing in one gulp. Didn’t want to hurt the bar keeper’s feelings, after all, so she had drunk the whole thing.

Jin had a dope smile on her face at this point. That drink had, now that she thought about it, tasted  _ really _ good. Maybe she could get another one? But what had it been? She didn’t want to ask Kylee, so she just leaned against the bar, smiling. She was staring up at the stage, watching the band play, but her gaze was focused on one person in particular.

She felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned to face Romy, who had an awkward smile on her face.

“You alright, Jin? You seem a little…”

“I’m  _ great, _ ” Jin slurred as she spoke, and Romy frowned.

“Are you sure?”

“Y-”

Another song came on, and Jin’s eyes widened as a grin grew across her lips.

“I'm leaving home for the coastline, some place under the sun.”

Romy’s gaze shot to the stage. Saffron had taken over the singing, and she was smiling out at the crowd while she sang, and Romy could see that her gaze was pointed in their direction.

“I feel my heart for the first time, ‘cause now I'm moving on, yeah.”

Jin had a dopey smile on her face as she stood up, shaking a little on her feet.

“I'm moving on, and there's a place that I've dreamed of.”

Jin reached down and grabbed Romy’s hand, starting to drag her through the crowd.

“Where I can free my mind.”

Jin held Romy close, and her heart beat painfully fast in her chest, hammering against her ribcage.

“I hear the sounds of the season, and lose all sense of time.”

“W-where are we going?” Romy asked, though she spoke quietly, not wanting to talk over Saffron’s singing. It was too beautiful for her to cut off.

“I'm moving far away, to a sunny place.”

“I’m going to do something nice for the girl I like,” Jin said, swaying a bit as she neared the stage.

“Where it's just you and me.”

Saffron looked up from the stage, tracking their movements with her Semblance and the Dust all over them. Her gaze locked with Jin, who smiled back at her.

“Feels like we're in a dream, you know what I mean?”

Jin swayed to the song as they neared the stage, and Romy stared down at their connected hands. She knew that hers had to be sweating in Jin’s, but it didn’t seem like she cared. The girl she liked?

Romy felt a goofy grin grow across her lips. She  _ did _ feel like she was in a dream.

“The summer air by the seaside, the way it fills our lungs. The fire burns in the night sky. This life will keep us young, yeah. Keep us young.”

Saffron was strumming her bass along with the song, though she seemed to be focused on them.

“And we will sleep by the ocean, our hearts will move with time.”

Jin grinned as they neared the stage, pushing everyone out of the way like she didn’t care. Several people glared at her, including one girl who was wearing a dark black leather jacket and short, spiky hair that was dyed purple on the edges.

“And we will wake in the morning to see the sun paint the sky.”

Saffron was looking out on the audience, but her gaze was locked on them.

“I'm moving far away to a sunny place where it's just you and me,” Saffron sang, though she almost stumbled on the last word when Jin put her hand on the stage.

“Watch this,” Jin said.

With that, she unceremoniously leapt onto the stage.

Romy watched, transfixed, confusion in her gaze.

Saffron, meanwhile, stumbled on the next line, looking around in confusion as if she was expecting someone else to come onto the stage and explain it to them.

“Feels like we're in a dream, you know what I mean-”

Before Saffron could continue, Jin reached out and grabbed her face gently.

The entire bar filled with the sounds of gasps.

Zohra tripped on one of the wires to her guitar, Arlen missed his drum completely and fell forward, his head hitting the bass. Akio completely dropped his microphone, eyes wide with shock. Rosemary stood still, grasping her keyboard so tightly that she almost broke it. Ilesha had a wide grin on her face as she watched, clapping her hands together enthusiastically. Romy stood completely still, as if she was in a trance, or perhaps some dream she might wake up from.

Jin had Saffron’s face clutched between her hands, and she pulled her closer, connecting their lips.

Saffron made a sound of shock at the action, her bass tumbling from her hands, the microphone stand crashing to the ground beside her with a  **_clang_ ** .

Saffron stared at her in disbelief for a moment before her eyes fluttered shut, and she reached her hands up to hold Jin around the waist, pulling her closer.

Romy stumbled back a step, her face flooding red.

She held the peonies in her hands tightly, and she wondered if she might have harmed them. For once, she didn’t think she cared.

Because…

Because of what was happening in front of her.

Jin and Saffron were kissing.

Right there.

On the stage.

In front of her.

Because…

She was too late.

Again.

She was too late again.

She was always too late, wasn’t she?

Why was this a running theme in her life? What was wrong with her? Why was she too late to ask them out? Why was she too late to tell them how she felt? Why was she too late to realize that when Jin and Saffron had been looking at her…

They’d really been looking at each other.

Romy slowly turned around, her heart heavy, and started to walk out of the bar.

She couldn’t run, couldn’t find it in herself. Couldn’t find it in herself to do anything more than stumble out of the bar.

Jin pulled away from Saffron, a wide, goofy grin on her face.

She wobbled a little on her feet, and Saffron was still staring up at her in shock.

Jin suddenly spun to face the audience.

“This,” Jin gestured at Saffron, “beautiful, wonderful,  _ amazing _ woman right here, is my girlfriend!” she slurred her words as she spoke. Romy winced at every word, as if they were daggers in her heart. “We’ve been dating… since  _ Christmas break _ ! And I just… I couldn’t hide it any longer. I  _ love you, _ Saffron Adel!”

Saffron’s tail puffed up and went straight up in the air, her face flooding red as she looked at Jin.

Suddenly, a bit of Dust exploded behind her, as it often did when she was excited, and it lit up the stage as if fireworks were exploding behind them.

“I love you, too, Jin,” Saffron whispered, though it carried through the bar.

Romy ducked her head down as she exited the crowd, finally reaching the door.

She shoved it open, walking out into the night. It was raining, though she barely felt it.

She considered walking back to Beacon, but she didn’t think she had enough energy.

A cab pulled up, and she haphazardly waved it down, stumbling through the rain and sitting down in the backseat.

She pulled the coat around her shoulders closer, but her eyes widened when she caught the scent of a familiar perfume.

Saffron.

Saffron had just kissed Jin… in front of a bar full of people… and pronounced her love for her…

Despite that, Romy couldn’t help but pull it closer to herself as she curled up in a ball on the seat, letting the coat surround her.


	93. Snapshots

Jin took a deep breath and walked into the restaurant. She’d messaged Saffron earlier in the day to ask her to come meet her here a few hours ago, and she had been trying to psych herself up

Today was the day. Today was the day she was going to ask out Saffron.

She had liked her for a while now, maybe even…

The point was, she was going to ask out Saffron, because she’d had a crush on her for a few months. She’d realized it when she started looking everywhere for the other girl in her classes, but she had been  _ very _ disappointed to see her so little.

“Hey, Jin,” Saffron said. She was waiting for her by the front, leaning against the wall. She tilted her sunglasses down with her hand, and she gave her a small smirk.

Jin flushed a bit, but she rolled her eyes.

“Hey, Saff.”

Saffron hesitated for a moment, and Jin saw something in her eyes change. Before she could pinpoint what it was, Saffron pushed her sunglasses back up her nose.

“Come on, I’ve been waiting for, like, half a minute,” Saffron said with a playful smirk.

Jin rolled her eyes, following the other girl to their table and took a seat beside her.

She took a deep breath, trying to make her heart stop beating so quickly.

“Thanks for coming,” Jin said, though she cursed herself after she said it. Really? That’s how she’d opened the conversation?

“Yeah… any reason you wanted to meet up so soon into the break? I mean, we didn’t see each other for, like, an entire semester, and it didn’t really mean much,” Saffron said. She had shifted in her seat so that she could prop her feet up on the chair.

“Well… that’s actually why I wanted to meet up with you,” Jin said, fiddling with her fingers.

Saffron sat up when she saw her doing that, suddenly frowning.

“Is something wrong with your hands?”

Jin gave her a confused look.

“What?”

Saffron reached out her hands, slowly unlatching her gloves and taking them off.

Jin frowned when she saw that Saffron’s hands immediately started to shake.

“If something’s wrong with your hands… you could wear my gloves. They… help me when I’m nervous… if your hands are shaking like that, well… here.”

Saffron held them out, her hands continuing to shake.

Jin reached her own hands out, grabbing the gloves, and she set them on the table.

Saffron frowned, but she froze when Jin grabbed her hands in her own.

“That’s not why my hands are shaking, but thank you, Saff,” Jin said softly.

Saffron’s hands were noticeably calmer now that Jin was holding them, and she looked up at her with a bit of confusion.

“I wanted to say that I missed you during the semester, and that… I really liked you, so I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date.”

Saffron’s eyes went wide with shock, her sunglasses tumbling off of her face. Her tail shot up behind her, poofing out on the edges.

The entire show would have been  _ absolutely _ adorable… were it not for the explosion that came next.

Jin had  _ almost _ forgotten that Saffron blew up Dust when she got excited.

_ On the plus side, _ Jin thought, covered in Dust,  _ she’s excited, at least. _

Jin forced a laugh as she shook her head to get some of it off of her face.

“Is that a yes?”

Saffron flushed with embarrassment as she looked around her, and she forced her tail to settle down beside her.

“Y-yeah… I’d like that, Jin…,” she was grinning, but it slowly faded. “I just… have one question.”

Jin almost didn’t hear the second half, considering how excited she was to have gotten a positive response.

“Anything.”

“When… when did you decide that you had a crush on me?” Saffron asked.

Her voice was quiet, and she glanced down at the table, her hands shaking again in Jin’s own.

“Since a few weeks before the Vytal Tournament…,” Jin said, blushing a little as she stared at her.

Saffron let out a sigh of relief, her hands stilling some.

“Good! I-I mean, that’s cool.”

Jin smiled at her fondly, freeing one of her hands so that she could lean forward and grab her sunglasses off the table, putting them on Saffron’s nose again.

Jin had leaned in very close, and she glanced down at Saffron’s lips.

“Do you mind if I-”

Saffron freed one of her hands, putting it on Jin’s face, and pulled her closer, kissing her gently.

-

“And you want us to keep it secret that we’re dating  _ because _ ?” Saffron asked, arms crossed.

“Because my family is filled with crazy people that will start to threaten you and then annoy you. I don’t want to deal with it,” Jin said, rolling her eyes.

“I think I’ll be fine with the threatening thing.”

“Yeah, but even you can’t beat off the annoyingness of my siblings and parents.”

Saffron rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses.

“Fine. Fine! But I already told my sisters, and they’re probably going to annoy you some. You deserve it.”

“Sisters? Oh, right, Kesey.”

“Yeah, Kesey! She’s going to pester the shit out of you.”

“See?! This is why I wanted to keep it secret! Plus, whether you like it or not, you’re one of the most famous people on Remnant, Saffron!”

“That’s an exaggeration.”

Jin started to count on her fingers.

“Your parents helped save the world, you won the Vytal Tournament, and you’re a rockstar now. Tell me how that doesn’t make you one of the most famous people in the world.”

Saffron hesitated before she glared at Jin.

“I already said okay! But if some girl hits on me in front of you, it’s your fault. You can’t get jealous.”

“I don’t get jealous.”

Saffron snorted.

“Sure you don’t, babe.”

-

Saffron and Jin walked into the house for the Christmas party, but froze when they saw the mistletoe above them.

Jin panicked, her face flushing red.

Lavey had done this, she knew for sure.

“You little-”

Saffron leaned over and pressed a kiss to her face, causing Jin’s eyes to widen in shock.

“Go get that gremlin for me,” Saffron said with a wink.

Jin flushed before she took off after her sister, who scrambled into the vents.

“IT HAPPENED!” Meriah screamed in excitement. “IT HAPPENED!”

Jin stumbled as she went to the vents, almost falling over as she glanced at Meriah, eyes wide.

“What finally happened, Merrie?” Saffron asked, already bending down to one knee and holding out her arms.

She was glad she had her sunglasses on, considering they hid her panicked eyes from view.

Meriah took off at a sprint and threw herself into Saffron’s arms.

Saffron laughed and lifted to her feet, twirling in a circle as the child giggled.

“You’re finally dating one of my siblings!” Meriah cried.

Saffron stopped for a moment before she laughed, rolling her eyes. She couldn’t let her know, not after Jin asked her not to tell…

“Not quite yet, Merrie,” Saffron said, ruffling her hair a bit with one hand.

“So you’re planning to?!” Meriah asked, squeezing Saffron tighter.

“Well I have to if I’m going to have you as my little sister officially, right?” Saffron asked, bouncing up and down a bit with the young girl in her arms.

Meriah grinned, nodding enthusiastically.

“Mer, stop trying to set us up with Saffron, it’s not going to work,” Akio said with an eye roll.

“It will work one day!” Meriah insisted.

“No, it won’t!” Adolpha cried.

_ Oh, just you wait, _ Saffron thought smugly.

-

Saffron leaned back on her hands as she sat on the ground. She had finished her homework, which Jin had been forcing her to do for once, and she was watching Jin as she worked.

Saffron glanced around the room for a moment. They were in team JARR’s dorm room at the moment, but they were the only ones working. Aella had left to hang out in team IMCA’s room, something about talking to Cooper about tech, which left both of the twins. Romelle was messaging someone on her scroll, Saffron thought it was Adolpha, and Romy was listening to music, her head bobbing up and down as she played a game on her scroll. It wasn’t long since the break had ended, just about a week ago, actually, but Jin and Saffron had yet to tell anyone they were dating.

Saffron took one last look around the room before she leaned onto the bed frame turned work table. She propped her chin up on her hand, smirking as she looked at Jin. She let her sunglasses fall a little ways down her nose so that Jin could see her eyes. When Jin turned to face her, Saffron leaned just a bit closer.

“Hey, wanna hear an interesting piece of trivia?” Saffron asked.

“You sound like Aunt Ivy,” Jin said, raising an eyebrow as she smiled back at her.

“Yeah, but for once this trivia’s important.”

“Then do enlighten me,” Jin teased.

Saffron glanced to the side for just a moment before she reached her free hand out to set it on Jin’s own.

“I love you.”

Jin froze, her eyes widening, and she watched Saffron with disbelief, as if Saffron had said something she had only heard before in her dreams.

“Just thought you’d find it interesting,” Saffron said, smirking before she shrugged and pulled back.

Jin sat there for just a moment, clearly unsure what to do, before she stood up abruptly.

“What’s wrong?” Saffron asked, glancing over at her girlfriend with a small frown on her face.

Jin reached down and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, dragging her out of the room.

Neither of the twins seemed to notice, something that Saffron thought was probably a good thing.

Jin dragged her down the hall until she found a free supply closet, and she shoved Saffron in.

“Something wrong?” Saffron asked, trying to act composed. On the inside, her skin was crawling, her heart was racing, and she could feel her hands starting to shake a bit despite her gloves being on.

“Yes. Something’s wrong,” Jin said.

“What?” Saffron asked, her voice shaking just a little bit.

“Repeat what you said in there.”

“I don’t… know what you’re talking about.”

Jin raised an eyebrow, and Saffron huffed.

“I said I love you.”

Jin suddenly grinned at her, reaching out to grab her hand.

“You see, the problem is, you did that in there, where I couldn’t do this.”

Jin reached her free hand up to cradle Saffron’s face before she leaned closer, connecting their lips gently.

Saffron was shocked, but that didn’t stop her from leaning closer and putting her hand on Jin’s waist, her eyes fluttering shut.

Jin pulled away after a moment.

“I love you, too.”

Saffron winced as a bit of Dust from her boot exploded.

Jin smiled fondly before she laughed quietly, leaning closer and pressing her forehead against Saffron’s.

-

“You know I gotta love you.”

Jin smiled in a lovesick way as she leaned against the bar, staring up at the band.

“Our name is written in the streets.”

Jin had recommended this song, and she couldn’t believe that she had decided to play it.

“You are a force of nature, the fire's moving through your feet.”

She’d suggested it specifically because it reminded her of Saffron, and she loved watching her play it. After all, fire, quite literally, moved through her feet.

“Ohhh your love, your love could start a war.”

Jin could even relate to that line. She would definitely fight a war for her…

“Your love is what I'm fighting for… I would die for this revelation.”

-

Saffron felt her scroll buzz, and she reached into her pocket.

Jin: Come to the dorm room, it’s empty.

Saffron: Is that so?

Jin: Just hurry up.

A grin grew across her face and she glanced at the closest window, which had a bit of a reflective quality. She ran a hand through her hair before she smirked and took off at a jog.

Saffron reached the door and pushed it open, an excited expression on her face.

She leaned against the door frame and took off her sunglasses, putting on her best sultry smirk.

“Hey-” Saffron stopped herself from saying something she shouldn’t when she saw the other people in the room. “Why are Lavey and the gremlin here?”

She stared at Jin in betrayal as the conversation continued, putting her sunglasses back on her face, scowling to herself.

-

Saffron slid her hand into Jin’s own, and Jin scowled at her, but she didn’t pull away.

The two of them had left the room to get ice cream, and Jin thought it was a stupid idea.

“What’s got you so pissed?” Saffron asked.

“You just comfort blocked her,” Jin said.

“That’s not a thing.”

“You just made it one.”

Saffron grimaced.

“Well, you lured me to your room under false pretenses, like a pedo.”

Someone walking past them on the street glanced over, frowning in confusion before herding her daughter along quicker.

Saffron waved with a grin.

Jin grimaced.

“I  _ may _ have… hidden some specific facts about the situation, but the real problem is how quickly you ran out of there.”

“I walked at a very sensible pace.”

“You ran.”

“Speed walked at most.”

“That was a full sprint.”

“The speed at which I exited the vicinity is not what is important.”

Jin rolled her eyes.

“But do we  _ really _ have to help her? I mean, it’s just a crush that ended poorly, right?”

“It’s more than this. I’ve never seen her this upset before.”

“That makes two of us, because I didn’t know she could have emotions,” Saffron muttered, huffing.

Jin sighed.

“Fine. Just help her until she’s over her, alright? Then you can stop.”

Saffron groaned.

“Please? For me?”

“Don’t do that.”

Jin stared at her pleadingly, and Saffron groaned again.

“Fine!”

-

“Come on, Jin! You said that we could say we were dating at the dance! You promised!” Saffron hissed.

“That was before I knew we were going to have to take care of Romy. We can’t let her know we’re a couple  _ now, _ Saff. She can’t be a third wheel with us too!”

“But she is!” Saffron cried, throwing her hands up in the air. “Come on, it won’t be a big deal if we go together, right?” Saffron had shifted her tone, growing withdrawn. “Do you just not want to tell people?”

Jin reached out and grabbed Saffron’s hands in her own, pulling her closer.

“Of course I want to tell people that we’re together. I love you, Saffron, but we just… can’t right now. But that doesn’t change how I feel.”

Saffron sighed and nodded.

“Okay. Okay! We can wait… but not too long.”

“Okay.”

“Promise?” Saffron asked, looking into Jin’s eyes.

“I promise.”

-

Saffron hopped onto the stage, spotting Ilesha immediately. She tapped on her shoulder to get her attention.

“Hey, Il, I know you wanted me to sing lead on some songs tonight, but I-”

Ilesha spun with a wide grin on her face.

“Oh, can you do that for the first song too?! I really want to go dance with Crystal and Lavey for this one, I mean, it’s our song and all, and I know you’re not here with anyone tonight, so… please?”

Right.

She  _ didn’t _ have a date tonight, did she?

She glanced at Jin from the stage longingly before she turned and gave Ilesha a fake smile.

-

Saffron let her glove fly off of her hand, grabbing onto Romy’s wrist before latching into place and tugging her forward.

Romy almost fell, but Saffron caught her with ease, staring down at her, trying to hide her disinterest.

She was doing this for Jin. Because Jin wanted her to do this. She was dancing with someone  _ other than her girlfriend, _ for  _ her girlfriend. _

That wasn’t odd.

“You’re supposed to stay at this dance with us, so you’re going to stay, because Jin said you should, and I trust her judgment with this,” Saffron said.

Romy sighed, looking away.

“I don’t want to stay if everyone is just going to be dancing.”

Saffron shrugged.

“Then dance with me.”

Romy glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow.

Saffron scoffed.

“What? You have a bunch of bachelorettes lined up? Come on, it’s a dance, not a damn marriage proposal,” Saffron said, holding out her gloveless hand.

A few minutes ago, while Saffron and Romy swayed to the music, Saffron made eye contact with Jin, giving her a small smile before she twirled the other girl.

-

Saffron walked into the dorm room, looking around for Romy.

“Sorry I’m late but I was unavoidably detain-”

She cut herself off when she saw the other girl. Jin had asked her to stay in the dorm room with her for the day, but Saffron had thought that a quick trip to the gym wouldn’t be a big deal.

It seemed that she had been wrong, considering Romy was curled up against her pillow, crying into it.

She hurried over, panicking.

The safety corner. That’s where she needed to go. That was Romy’s gloves.

She grabbed her and all but ran to the corner, sitting down.

“Okay, okay, we’re here, do you feel better?” Saffron asked.

Romy kept sobbing.

“So you like music, right? I do too,” Saffron said, starting to run her hand up and down Romy’s back gently. “I’m sure you can tell, considering I’m in the Adax Band,” Saffron laughed awkwardly, “and I get that music might help you, but it’s not gloves if they make you cry…”

“Gloves?” Romy asked, finally looking up.

“Yeah, yeah, like my gloves. They’re… they’re warm and they’re safe and they make you feel like… well, like something’s protecting you.”

“That’s why you wear your gloves?” Romy asked softly.

“Yeah… that’s why I don’t take them off, at least. So all we need to do is find your gloves, something to calm you down…,” Saffron trailed off awkwardly. She’d only ever told Rosemary, Kesey, and Jin that before.

She glanced down, finding that Romy was already calming down, her eyes fluttering shut as she curled up closer to Saffron’s chest.

“I’m her gloves,” Saffron breathed. “I’m her gloves!”

Saffron stared down at the smaller girl, running her hand down her back slowly.

She supposed, now that she thought about it, taking care of her wasn’t the worst thing. In fact, Saffron found herself rather enjoying it, even if it was cutting into some of her Jin time.

-

“Do you really need to sleep in her bed with her?” Jin hissed.

Saffron stared at Jin as if she’d grown a second head.

“I’m her gloves , Jin, I don’t think you understand that.”

“I do, but-”

“But nothing! I’m her gloves, so she needs me!” Saffron whispered, stalking over to where Romy was sitting on her bed and plopping down.

Romy made a sound of shock, glancing over at Saffron.

“What are you-”

Saffron unceremoniously grabbed Romy with both arms and fell over onto the bed.

“What-”

“Shhhh… sleepy time,” Saffron said, closing her eyes.

“Bu-”

“I said sleep, damnit.”

As Romy and Saffron curled up together, Jin crossed her arms, glaring a little bit at her girlfriend.

Was this some sort of way of getting back at her? Some way to let Jin know how Saffron had felt at the dance?

As Saffron curled up around Romy, Jin felt her heart clench.

She crawled into the bed beside the pair, waiting about half an hour until she was sure that Romy was asleep.

“Okay, I get it,” Jin growled.

Saffron’s eyes blinked tiredly.

“What?”

“Stop messing with her feelings, I get that you’re upset with me.”

“Messing with her feelings? Jin, I’m just being nice.”

“Why?” Jin snapped.

“Because… I don’t know… just look at her. She’s like a little gremlin. She’s our little gremlin child now, right?”

Jin scowled.

Saffron suddenly smirked.

“Oh my Dust, Jin! Are you jealous?” she hissed.

Jin flushed.

“No.”

“Well, you shouldn’t be, because you get to do something that she doesn’t.”

“What?”

Saffron leaned closer and pressed a quick kiss to Jin’s lips before she pulled closer, putting her head on Jin’s shoulder.

Underneath the couple, Romy slept soundly with a small smile on her face.

-

“And you helped her with a new weapon  _ why _ ?” Jin asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Because she needed one, Jin.”

“She could have made her own weapon again.”

“I didn’t want her to get hurt,” Saffron said defensively.

Jin hesitated.

On one hand, she was happy that her girlfriend was helping their friend…

But on the other hand…

It made Jin want to punch something.

-

Saffron’s hands were shaking uncontrollably, even with her gloves on. She could still remember waking up that morning. Aella had scared her awake, and she hadn’t had her gloves. Hadn’t had her weapons…

She’d been weak,  _ vulnerable _ … two things that she had promised to herself she would never be again.

She hadn’t been able to protect herself, hadn’t been able to protect Jin… hadn’t been able to protect Romy, the person she was supposed to protect.

Without her gloves…

What was she?

Jin reached out and grabbed Saffron’s hands in her face, pulling her from her thoughts.

“Look at me,” Jin whispered.

Saffron forced herself to look in her eyes.

Jin reached up slowly and took off Saffron’s sunglasses, leaning forward to stare at her intently.

“Your gloves aren’t you. They aren’t what make you strong, and neither is your Semblance.”

Saffron’s hands shook as she tried to put them on her lap.

“They’re not the reason you’re special. They’re not  _ you, _ and they  **certainly** have nothing to do with the woman I fell in love with.”

Saffron felt the tears on her face, but Jin wiped them away gently.

Saffron let out a breath before she leaned closer, pressing her forehead against Jin’s before collapsing into her arms.

-

Saffron kicked Romy off of her before she threw Jin to the side, rolling on top of her.

She leaned down some, thinking of the best way to distract her.

The best way to distract Jin was always to kiss her.

She leaned down more, her lips coming within an inch of Jin’s before she remembered where they were. In her fear and shock, she had almost forgotten. Almost any other emotion was lost to her at the moment.

She finally decided against it and took off down the hallway at a full sprint.

Meanwhile, Aella was still curled up in a fetal position with her body wrapped around her boots, which Saffron found she couldn’t get back.

And Jin… well, Jin was still laying on her back, staring up at the ceiling in complete shock.

-

Saffron watched Romy walk off with the red panda stuffed animal in her arms.

She glanced over at Jin, who seemed a little frustrated.

Or, more accurately,  _ jealous. _

Saffron always had a bit of fun when her girlfriend got jealous, so she reached out and grabbed her other hand, leaning closer.

“You know why I gave her the red panda?”

“Why?” Jin asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Because you already have one.”

Jin flushed, glancing at Saffron’s tail, before she rolled her eyes.

“You’re so cheesy.”

“You love me anyways,” Saffron said, leaning forward and giving Jin a quick kiss on the nose before she tugged her after the rest of their friends.

-

Romy curled up against Jin as the roller coaster started, and Saffron glanced around for a moment as they went before she smirked.

Adolpha and Romelle were curled up together in front of them, and Romy already had her eyes squeezed shut…

Saffron leaned over and gave Jin a quick kiss, pulling away and giving her a grin.

Jin flushed immediately, glancing down at Romy to make sure she hadn’t seen anything.

Jin hesitated for a moment, and Saffron thought she was going to get a lecture later about not pushing their luck…

This was why she was so surprised when Jin darted over and gave her a chaste kiss right before the first drop.

When Saffron called that the best roller coaster she had ever been on, her opinion  _ might _ have been a bit biased.


	94. Cleopatra

“Mind if I play music?” the cab driver asked.

Romy didn’t respond.

“I was Cleopatra, I was young and an actress.”

Romy looked up, her eyes widening. She recognized that voice. And she remembered the last thing she had heard that voice say.

_ “I love you, too, Jin.” _

“When you knelt by my mattress, and asked for my hand.”

Romy could see her now, leaning next to her on the bed and reaching out her hand for Romy to take, pulling her out of the bed on a day she couldn’t do it herself.

“But I was sad you asked it, as I laid in a black dress.”

Romy was laying on her bed after the dance, Jin sitting down beside her and gently pulling her in for a hug.

“And I left the footprints, the mud stained on the carpet.”

After all, that’s all Romy had left, wasn’t it? She hadn’t left anything behind but memories, footsteps of her presence that would fade away eventually. Because everything that had happened, everything that had meant the world to Romy…

Had meant nothing to them, had it?

“And it hardened like my heart did when you left town.”

She sometimes wished her heart would harden. Then it would stop her from falling for someone else that couldn’t love her, right?

Romy decided that was stupid. She would never fall in love again, that was for sure.

Because she was never getting her heart back.

She let out a wry laugh despite her tears.

_ Don’t worry, Romelle. I finally,  _ **_finally_ ** _ , understand, _ she thought.

“But I must admit it, that I would marry you in an instant.”

She would. At the drop of a hat, she would marry them, would do anything for them.

But at the same time, she would be just as quick to be at their side at their own wedding.

“Damn your wife, I'd be your mistress just to have you around.”

Romy didn’t know who she could say that to. On one level, she thought that she’d do that to be with one of them, but… she couldn’t break them up. Not when they were so perfect for each other. Not when they were so happy.

At least someone could be.

“But I was late for this, late for that, late for the love of my life.”

Romy’s eyes widened at the words.

She had thought this song sounded familiar, other than it outlining the entirety of her life, but she realized why she hadn’t heard it all before.

This had been the song that Saffron had always stopped her from listening to. The song she had told Romy to avoid, because it would hurt her.

What would Saffron have said if she’d known it was really her who would hurt her?

“And when I die alone, when I die alone, when I die I'll be on time.”

Romy supposed that would be the one time she would be, wouldn't it? She was always late.

“So I drive a taxi, and the traffic distracts me.”

Romy leaned against the window, watching the streets as they passed around her. It was a poor distraction, a poor substitute.

But anything would be.

“From the strangers in my backseat, they remind me of you.”

Romy caught a glimpse of herself in the window, her reflection shown in Saffron’s jacket.

She should return it.

But she didn’t want to.

“But I was late for this, late for that, late for the love of my life.”

Why was that the central theme of her life?

What had her mother called it? A motif?

She could hear Ciel saying it in her head.

_ A motif is a recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. _

She found herself wondering if she should write a memoir. There had to be a lesson in all of this, right? She just wasn’t smart enough to see it.

“And when I die alone, when I die alone, when I die I'll be on time.”

Romy curled up closer to herself in the jacket, letting it swallow her up. She could almost pretend it was like those nights when Saffron would hold her in her arms. Those nights that she’d never get the chance to see again.

“But I've read this script and the costume fits, so I'll play my part.”

Romy did suppose that she did now the part, didn’t she?

This was the second time she had feelings for the girlfriend of someone she loved.

Except this time it was worse, because it was two times as bad.

Because this time, she knew she loved her. Love  _ them. _

“I was Cleopatra, I was taller than the rafters.”

She had had it all, hadn’t she? She had been there in between the two of them during late nights. Had ridden the roller coaster between the two…

“But that's all in the past now, gone with the wind.”

But she had always been in between them, hadn’t she?

That was the common denominator there, wasn’t it?

Just something that kept them separated.

But they didn’t have to worry about that anymore.

She’d never get in their way again.

“I won't be late for this, late for that, late for the love of my life… and when I die alone, when I die alone, when I die I'll be on time.”

-

Romelle pushed the door open, and she glanced around with a confused look on her face.

She didn’t know why the gig was so quiet.

Shouldn’t they still be playing music? It wasn’t time for the gig to be over yet, was it?

She didn’t think so, so she checked her scroll.

There was still a good fifteen to thirty minutes left in the gig, at least, should people not ask for encours, and they always did.

She pushed her way through the murmuring crowd, finally stopping when she found a grinning Aella.

“Aella, what’s going on?” she asked. “Why’s everyone acting weird?”

Aella turned to her, bouncing on the tips of her toes.

“It was great, Romelle! Jin just hopped up there and said that she had been dating Saffron since the break! Said she loved her too! And then they  _ kiss, _ Romelle! Oh, I  **knew** there was something going on between them! I’m so happy for J-”

Romelle grabbed her by the arm, eyes wide, as she started to drag her toward the doors.

“What’s wrong?” Aella asked, tilting her head to the side slightly in confusion.

“We need to go.”

“Why? Wait, no, I can’t leave, I was going to tell Zohra how good she did! At least let me tell her before we leave!”

“No time, Aella.”

“But-”

Romelle reached out and snatched Lavey by the arm and tugged her to the door as well.

Lavey stumbled at the force, glancing over at her with wide eyes.

“Romelle? What’s going on?”

“We’re leaving.”

“Oh thank Dust,” Lavey muttered, “CRYSTAL! YOU HAVE TO PAY JIN’S TAB!”

“FUCK!” Crystal cried.

_ / _

_ “What about you?” the bartender asked, gesturing at Jin. _

_ Jin jumped, looking away from Romy. _

_ “What? Oh, uh, Jin.” _

_ The bartender glanced down at her before she left for behind the bar. _

_ Jin shook her head before turning back to Romy, though her gaze kept shifting to the stage, where Saffron was getting the equipment ready. _

_ A few minutes later, the woman reappeared and set a drink in front of Jin. _

_ / _

Gin and Jin were two very different things.

And the answer to “what about you?” and “what’s your name?” were also two different things.

“Romelle, I was going to congratulate Z-”

“We have bigger fish to fry, or, more accurately, bigger problems that aren’t our fault but we have to deal with because nobody else is going to. Now come on.”

Aella sighed and nodded as she was pulled out of the bar.

Romelle then spun to face Aella, shoving her until she turned around.

“Hey, what are you-”

Aella let out a grunt as Romelle grabbed her around the shoulders, her legs locking around her waist.

“Fly, my gremlin, we haven’t much time,” Romelle said.

Romelle reached out and grabbed onto Lavey by the hand, tugging her closer.

“But  _ where are we going, _ Romelle?!” Aella cried.

“Beacon.”

“WHY?!” Lavey cried.

“I’ll catch you up when we get there.”

-

There was a knock on the door, and Adolpha opened the door, frowning in confusion.

“Wh-Romy, what are you doing here? I thought you were at the gig.”

Romy had just gotten herself composed enough to talk to Adolpha, but the mention of the gig made her freeze.

She felt tears fill her eyes, and she stared down at the floor, the crumpled flowers in her hands.

They’d been rejected, just like her.

But that wasn’t the first time that had happened, was it?

“I… Romy, are you crying?” Adolpha asked, sounding worried as she crouched down to get a better look at Romy. “Oh no, you’re crying. Um… uh, would you like to come in?”

Romy nodded, and Adolpha scurried out of the way of the door, closing it after Romy entered.

“Is… is something wrong?”

Romy let the flowers tumble out of her hit the ground before she fell onto the closest bed, which happened to be Adolpha’s.

“Do you… want to talk about it?”

Romy didn’t respond.

“Can you at least give me context?”

Romy began to sob, and Adolpha scrambled back, both figuratively and literally.

“Uh… well… can I… do anything to help?”

Romy curled up in a ball on the bed, letting the jacket surround her and hide her from the outside world.

Adolpha hesitated for just a moment before she slowly walked over to the desk she had been working at.

She hadn’t gone to the gig because she had homework, so… she supposed that it would be best for her to go back to it, right? If Romy wasn’t going to tell her anything, then she might as well leave her alone, and she needed a distraction of her own anyways, so… it worked out for everyone, right? Win-win!

There was loud crying in the background.

Okay… compromise-compromise.

But it was better than nothing, right?

More crying.

Right?


	95. Bubble Pipe

The door opened, and Romelle looked around.

“Why in the name of Dust are we here?!” Lavey snapped. She paused for a moment. “Adolpha?”

“Yeah?” Adolpha called, her head bobbing to music they couldn’t hear. She had headphones in her human ears, but her wolf ears were clearly free just in case someone called for her.

“Why is there a jacket on your bed?”

“Is that thing wet? Oh, that’s going to have to be blow dried, Dolph. You’ll ruin the material if you put it in the drier, and the dry cleaners are  _ way _ too expensive,” Aella said, dashing over to the jacket.

“No, that’s-”

Aella tried to grab the jacket, but there was a groan, and it was pulled away from her.

Aella cried out in shock, pushing herself backwards with her semblance and shooting into the air.

“That’s Romy.”

Adolpha went back to her work, not looking over.

“And… you just left her there?” Romelle asked, frowning.

“Was… that a bad decision?” Adolpha asked slowly. “She wouldn’t talk to me, so I just assumed she wanted to be alone…”

“Then why would she come here, idiot?!” Lavey hissed.

Adolpha hesitated.

“I… I don’t know! I’m not good at this whole  _ emotion _ stuff, Lav!” Adolpha snapped. “That’s Jin’s thing.”

Romelle face palmed.

“You love her, Romelle. You  _ love her, _ don’t say anything,” Romelle muttered to herself.

Adolpha’s ear twitched and she glanced over at her girlfriend for a moment, looking concerned.

Romelle then took a deep breath and carefully walked through the room, taking it in like the entire thing was a crime scene.

She was careful not to step on anything, especially the flowers that littered the ground.

“What happened, Dolph?” Lavey asked.

“Uh, she came in here with flowers, crying, and then just… flopped onto the bed.”

“Flowers? Why did she have flowers?” Romelle muttered to herself, looking around. She crouched down beside the flowers, prodding them with her fingers.

Aella suddenly got excited, hurrying forward and pulling a bubble pipe from her cloak. She held it to her lips and blew out into it, causing bubbles to float out of the pipe.

“Do you just… have that? In your cloak?” Lavey asked, frowning in confusion.

“You don’t?” Aella replied, crouching down next to Romelle.

“No. No I don’t.”

“Pfft, lame. Anyways, from the looks of these flowers, she carried them in the rain, considering the turgor pressure has built up enough, which means she got them  _ before _ she left the gig. Now, who would give her flowers? And what do they mean?”

“Flowers mean things?” Lavey asked, frowning.

“Yeah! And Romy’s all about flowers and their meanings, so she would know… but we can’t just ask her.”

“We could look them up?” Romelle offered.

“Do you not know them?” Aella asked. “She’s your sister, she’s probably told you about them before.”

“Pfft, no. I didn’t care about that stuff,” Romelle said, shrugging.

“Well, I can look them up!” Aella said, pulling out her scroll and typing away.

There was a moment of silence, aside from Adolpha scribbling on her papers.

“Well… good news! They’re either chrysanthemum, ranunculus, double bloom tulips, peonies, or dahlias.”

“That… does not narrow it down, does it?” Romelle asked.

“No, nope… not in the slightest!” Aella said enthusiastically.

“Well, what do  _ those _ symbolize.”

“Good news, guys! They either represent elegance and creativity-”

“Definitely not for her,” Romelle said with a snort.

“-perfect slash deep love, love and luck… little frog… or death…”

“That’s… cheery,” Romelle said.

“I personally hope it’s little frogs. Frogs are so cute! And by little frogs, do you think they meant tadpoles? Because technically those are what little baby frogs are, and-”

“It’s not little frogs.”

Aella sighed and marked them off the list while Romelle continued to study them.

“I’d like to think it’s not perfect love,” Lavey said, shrugging.

“Why?”

“I dunno,” Lavey replied.

“Oh… okay?” Aella said, marking it off.

“It’s probably not love in general,” Romelle muttered, remembering that Jin and Saffron had kissed on stage. The two people she’d thought would be interested in Romy were, apparently, decidedly  _ not. _

“That leaves us with… death.”

“You sound like Salem,” Romelle muttered.

“Thanks,” Aella said dryly. “So… Romy got a death threat in the form of flowers, so she came running back to the dorm to cry about it.”

Adolpha’s ear twitched.

“Death in the form of flowers… do you mean chrysanthemums?” Adolpha asked, turning around and taking her headphones out.

“Yeah!” Aella said. “So all we have to do is find whoever gave her the death threat, and have a long, thorough talk. With fists.”

“Those aren’t chrysanthemums.”

“They’re not?” Aella asked, turning to look at her sister.

“No.”

“How do you know?” Romelle asked, frowning.

Adolpha awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck.

“I… used to like someone that really liked flowers. So I learned.”

“Who?” Aella asked.

Everyone looked at her.

“Oh, right, her. You know, the girl that cried herself to sleep on your bed and you ignored. You know, that isn’t really how you treat someone you like.”

“I get it, I’m emotionally stunted! We all know this!” Adolpha cried, throwing up her arms. “But what  _ you _ don’t know? That those are  _ peonies, _ not chrysanthemums, and they represent good luck and love.”

“Why did she have those?” Lavey asked, frowning. “Did someone like her?”

“That’s kind of the opposite of the problem. Someone  _ doesn’t _ like her,” Romelle said awkwardly.

“Then maybe the flowers were for them and she came running back here when they rejected her,” Aella said, blowing on her bubble pipe.

Romelle froze.

“That’s… probably what happened.”

“Really?” Aella asked, perking up a little bit in excitement.

“Yeah… that… actually makes the most sense out of everything we’ve said.”

Aella beamed.

“That’s a first!”

“Okay, Romelle, sit down, you’re telling us the full story,” Lavey said quickly, pushing her onto the bed beside Romy.

Everyone, including Adolpha, crowded around her, listening intently.

“Well, you see, after Romy realized she liked Adolpha and was about to ask her out-”

“SHE WHAT?!” Adolpha cried.

Romelle glared at her. Romy shifted in bed, and there was a moment of silence before Romelle continued, hissing.

“She was going to ask you out, but this happened about five minutes before you asked  **me** to the dance.”

Adolpha’s eyes widened.

“She liked me?”

“Yes, before you  _ asked me _ out,” Romelle reiterated.

Adolpha’s gaze grew distant, and Romelle’s fingers dug into the bed.

“Oh, that was a  _ great _ day, you know? I can’t believe you said yes…,” Adolpha smiled fondly and leaned back a bit where she sat on the floor.

Lavey groaned and smacked her sister in the back of the head.

Romelle was smiling back at Adolpha, and Aella had to clear her throat to get her to continue.

“Right! So, she was about to ask Adolpha out and then Adolpha asked me. Apparently she, like, ran off or something, I don’t know, I was distracted.”

Adolpha smiled a bit.

“She ran off,” Lavey said sagely. “She ran into the safety corner, and that’s where they found her.”

“Right! Wait, she went there? Pfft, lame. Anyways, Jin and Saffron found her there, and they comforted her. Apparently they went to get ice cream? That’s stupid to do, considering they had an emotionally unstable person to deal with, but they left, and then Adolpha and I came in. We laid down on my bed, and we thought she was asleep, but she wasn’t.”

“Wait, she was there?” Adolpha asked, frowning.

“You… you don’t remember?” Romelle asked, frowning.

“No?”

“You… you talked about her, made sure she was okay.”

“I don’t remember that.”

“Do you remember anything about that?”

Adolpha flushed a little and grinned, causing Romelle to roll her eyes fondly.

“Right. Stupid question. Anyways, Adolpha left, and I… may have been a  _ tad bit _ excited, so I told her about Adolpha asking me out. Apparently that was a bad idea, but  _ nobody tells me anything, _ so I didn’t know. So, long story short, after that, Jin and Saffron comforted her. They took her to the ball together and comforted her while Adolpha and I danced… then there was some stuff in between where I didn’t know about it, then I realized she liked Adolpha when we came back from our first date to check on her because Aella got worried.”

Aella grimaced, remembering that  _ far _ too vividly.

“So we had an argument, and Saffron and Jin comforted her through  _ that, _ and then we made up. So, in summation, Saffron and Jin were there for her the whole time and when she got over Adolpha-”

“Wait!” Adolpha cried. “That’s why you were fighting?! You were fighting over me?!”

“Not over you, about you, there’s a difference,” Romelle said dismissively.

“What’s the difference?” Aella asked, tilting her head to the side.

“One happens in horrible movies that don’t have any real plot and need to resort to love triangles, the other is when two people that are close and have a complex relationship with each other fight because they feel betrayed by the other growing feelings for someone. Keep up, Aella. Anyways, Jin and Saffron were there for her, and she caught the gay for both of them. So, apparently, after last night, she was going to ask them out, but…”

Lavey and Aella stared at her, eyes wide.

“You see the issue.”

“Uh… I really don’t,” Adolpha said, frowning.

“That’s a  _ really _ big issue!” Aella cried, gaze darting to Romy. “Aw, poor Rom-Romy.”

“Ouch, that stings. Especially the whole sister betrayal thing, I get that,” Lavey said.

“I really don’t see what’s wrong,” Adolpha cut in.

They all stared at her in disappointment for a moment before Romelle’s eyes widened.

“Oh, right, you weren’t there. Jin and Saffron kissed, said they were in love, had been dating since the break, you know, the usual.”

Adolpha froze, stunned.

“Wait… Jin’s dating  _ Saffron _ of all people?! W-what?! But… how am I supposed to intimidate her?! She beat me up last year!”

Aella reached out and patted her sister on the leg.

“Don’t worry, I can do it, sis!”

Adolpha stared at her younger sister in confusion.

“You?!”

“Yeah, weirdest thing, she can somehow scare Saffron? I don’t know, only person to ever steal her weapons and stuff,” Romelle said, waving her hand dismissively.

“What?!” Adolpha cried.

“Yeah, you should really pay more attention,” Lavey said. “Even I knew that, and I was barely in that fight.”

Romelle snorted.

“I noticed. You fell on your face. It was great.”

“You got judo flipped, asshole,” Lavey growled.

“I got the weapons!” Aella said with an excited grin. “Jin said get the weapons, and I got the weapons! Look at me go!”

Romelle rolled her eyes.

“Whatever. Point is, Romy is gay for Jin and Saffron, who are, so far, exclusively gay for each other.”

Adolpha grimaced.

“That… sounds rough. Is… there anything I can do?”

“I don’t know, can you get through more than a minute of having to socialize with a crying person?” Lavey asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I… can try?” Adolpha said.

“That… wasn’t supposed to be a challenge. It was supposed to insult you. Adolpha, can you really not do that? Do we need to get you therapy?” Lavey asked.

“Probably, but I can do it.”

“Okay?” Lavey said, though it was more like a question.

“We should make a protection squad!” Aella cried excitedly. “You know, to make sure that she’s okay.”

“That… actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Romelle said.

“Thanks!”

Suddenly, the jacket behind them shifted, and Romy’s head poked out of it. She looked at the jacket for a moment before she glanced at everyone in the room.

She sighed.

“So… that wasn’t an elaborate nightmare.”

Romy sniffled, and tears appeared in her eyes.

Everyone, excluding Aella, froze at the sight of tears.

Romelle didn’t know what to say to her crying sister, considering she usually just told her to shut up. Adolpha  _ always _ froze when people cried, and Lavey just… well, she wasn’t much better than Adolpha.

Aella, on the other hand, looked at Romy with an empathetic expression.

“Aw, poor baby, come here,” Aella held out her arms as she spoke, her gliders popping out of her arms.

Romy sniffled and sat up a bit.

Aella used a gust of wind to blow Saffron’s jacket out of the way before she flopped onto the bed, her arms, legs, and gliders wrapping around her teammate, who was suddenly completely encased in a hug.

Aella snuggled closer to her, putting her head on Romy’s own.

Romy squirmed a bit to get comfortable, and she had a moment of panic, feeling trapped.

The moment subsided, and she found herself comforted by the cocoon.

It only got better when Aella let her cloak surround the two of them, hiding them from view.

Romy was curled up in her embrace, grabbing onto her shirt with one hand and setting her head on Aella’s chest.

“Shouldn’t… shouldn’t you be the one doing that?” Lavey asked, pointing at the pair. “I mean, I’m not an expert, but…”

Romelle made a face of disgust.

“What? No, we’re not that kind of siblings.” Romelle said.

“You mean ones that care about each other’s well being?” Lavey asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Hey! I had Aella fly us all the way down here, didn’t I?” Romelle snapped.

“Well if you care, then why won’t you hug her?” Lavey responded.

Romelle glared at her.

“We’re just not… that kind of people! You know, touchy feely people. You know, besides girlfriends,” Romelle said.

“Really?” Lavey asked. “Then why is she curled up and holding onto Aella like she’s her lifeline?”

Romelle hesitated.

“Temporary moment of weakness, I’m sure.”

Lavey scoffed.

“You know that wanting to touch someone isn't a weakness, right? That’s a part of human nature. It’s an evolutionary thing, man.”

“We control our evolution, Lav, we’re the only species that does that, and I choose to ignore this part of our evolution, and so does Romy.”

“I’m sure, Alien” Lavey said.

Meanwhile, Romy had finally let her eyes fall shut as she moved closer to Aella.

“Sorry,” Romy whispered.

Aella frowned.

“What?”

“I said I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“For… this.”

Aella started to pull away, and Romy cursed in her head.

She knew that mentioning it would be a mistake.

Suddenly, Aella reached down and grabbed Romy’s face in her hands, looking at her seriously.

“There’s nothing wrong with needing help sometimes. Besides, I like cuddles, so stay still and let me hold you, idiot.”

Romy went still again, letting herself relax in Aella’s arms, free of guilt this time.

“Hey, Dolph, wanna join? Never too early to work on therapy!” Aella called.

Adolpha went pale.

“N-no, I think I’m good.”

“Suit yourself! More Romy cuddles for me!” Aella cried.

Romelle frowned and looked down at her sister, though she could only see the barest hint of her hair, considering the rest of her was completely hidden by Aella. It made sense, all things considered, that Aella could engulf her entire sister like that. There  _ was _ over half a foot of difference in their height.

But that’s not what was bothering Romelle, no, that had been decided during the council of gremlin meetings all those years ago.

What bothered her, was that Romy seemed so much happier curled up against Aella than she had on her own.

Could… could the tall gremlin have a point?


	96. RPS

“We really could be a protection squad, you know!”

Romelle glanced over at Aella, who was still curled up around Romy, who had her head sticking out of her cocoon to rest on Aella’s chest. Both of them were laying on the bed… or, well, Aella was laying on the bed, but Romy was laying on Aella’s chest.

“And then we could have nicknames!” Aella said happily.

Everyone paused for a moment, staring at her. Even Romy did.

“Would you like to have a protection squad? We could be the Romy Protection Squad! The RPS!”

Romy smiled a little bit for the first time in hours.

“I… I think I’d like that.”

“Then we can be the founding members of the RPS!” Aella said enthusiastically. “Oh! Romelle, you can be Therapist! You know, because you were so worried!”

Lavey snorted.

“Please, she’s not even a human, let alone a therapist. She said ‘I choose to ignore that part of evolution’ about hugs. This girl’s an alien.”

Aella considered for a moment.

“You know what? Alien works! Romelle’s Alien!” she said happily.

“And then Lavey… you can be Bandwagon!”

“What? Why?” Lavey asked, frowning.

“Because bandwagoning means you do something because everyone else is doing it! It’s perfect!” Aella said with a grin, clearly excitedly.

“Then we have to call Adolpha Flower Bitch,” Lavey said immediately.

Adolpha glared at her.

“That’s not fair, I did more than that.”

“Do you want to be called Doorbell? Bellhop? Bellboy? Butler?”

Adolpha slowly shook her head.

“Then Flower Bitch it is.”

“FB for short!” Aella said.

“Okay… then what do we call Romy?” Romelle asked.

“I can be Cleopatra,” Romy said quietly. “It fits.”

“What do you mean?” Adolpha asked, frowning and tilting her head to the side a bit.

“Wait, isn’t that a song?” Lavey asked, frowning as she tried to remember the lyrics. She started singing under her breath. “But I was late for this, late for that, late for the love of my life…”

Lavey’s eyes widened, and everyone stared at Romy.

“So we’re not calling her  _ that, _ ” Aella said, pulling closer to the other girl. “Besides, I have the  _ obvious _ answer.”

“And that is?” Romelle asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Sad Girl Hours. SGH for short!”

“You know what… that’s not too bad,” Adolpha said.

Lavey was laughing quietly to herself, shaking her head.

“It’s perfect,” Lavey said.

“Yup! That just leaves me! What do you guys want to call me?” Aella asked. “Ooh! I could be The Exhibit, remember, Lav?”

“No,” Lavey said quickly.

“Maybe Or I could be your Taxi! You know, cause I carried you here.”

Romy started to sing quietly to herself.

“So I drive a taxi, and the traffic distracts m-”

Aella reached down one arm and covered Romy’s mouth with her hand.

“No Sad Girl Hours songs, thank you very much. This is not the vibe we are looking for.”

Romy glanced up at her, frowning.

“Shhh, don’t worry about it,” Aella said quietly, running her hand through Romy’s hair.

Romy froze at the action, and she blinked back tears.

Aella didn’t seem to notice, wiggling a bit to get more comfortable.

Adolpha hadn’t been paying attention, staring at Aella with her eyes narrowed.

“Detective Bubble Pipe.”

Aella turned to look at her, frowning in confusion.

“What?”

“All of our codenames have been how we joined the RPS. Your first action was trying to be a detective. You got your bubble pipe out. You’re Detective Bubble Pipe.”

Everyone paused.

Adolpha then grinned.

“Aella, you’re  _ Detective Bubble Pipe _ !” Adolpha said excitedly.

Aella suddenly beamed, shifting a bit so that she could look down at Romy.

“You hear that? I’m Detective Bubble Pipe! DBP-” she hesitated. “Why are you crying?”

Aella tilted her head to the side in confusion.

“Jin used to play with my hair…”

Aella froze, moving her hand away from Romy’s hair after a moment.

She cocooned closer to Romy and wrapped her arms around her.

When Sad Girl Hours was covered completely, she turned to look at the others.

“You know, I think we have to get better at this whole comforting thing.”

When Romy was calmed down, Aella turned back to the entire group.

“You know, we need code names for them too,” Aella said.

“Who?” Adolpha asked, frowning.

“ _ Them _ .”

“That… doesn’t narrow it down at all,” Adolpha continued.

“You’re so stupid, Dolph,” Lavey muttered. “THEM!”

Romelle, who was seated on Adolpha’s lap, leaned back and whispered in her ear.

Adolpha’s eyes widened and her ears perked up.

“Oh. Them.”

“Yeah. How about Tall Dumbass and Short Dumbass?” Lavey asked.

“Short? She’s not short,” Romelle said. “She doesn’t count as a gremlin.”

“But comparatively, she’s short,” Lavey said, waving her hand dismissively.

Romy sat up a bit and Aella grunted as she was hit by a stray elbow.

“Don’t call them dumbasses,” Romy said in a shockingly clear voice.

“Why not? They are,” Lavey said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I mean first of all, Saffron and those gloves? Terrifying dependency. And Jin? Dumbass doesn’t know the difference between a hot bar keeper asking for her name or her order... And finally, they didn’t choose you, so yeah.”

Aella let out a cry of shock as she was all but thrown off the bed, barely catching herself with a saving gust of wind before she could hit the ground.

Aella grumbled something about being thankful, though she admitted that almost  _ nobody _ she helped was.

“Stop insulting them!” Romy snapped. She sat up in bed, wiping her face as she glared at her friend. “They’re not stupid! Saffron’s been through things you couldn’t  _ imagine, _ Lavey, and she’s so strong. She’s stronger than you could  **ever** be! And Jin… I honestly don’t know what you were talking about… but you’re wrong. She’s smart! And… and if they didn’t like me… then they’re probably right not to.”

Everyone stared at her in shock.

“Noooo!” Aella cried, pushing herself toward Romy and grabbing her in a tight hug. In midair, she positioned herself parallel to her, her gliders popping out before she slammed against her, causing both of them to topple onto the bed in a cocoon. “You deserve the world! You deserve, like… three girlfriends!”

Romy sniffled a little and curled up closer to her.

“Thanks, Aella,” she muttered, letting out a sigh.

“No need for thanks! It’s all a day in the life of a member of the RPS!”


	97. Are You Drunk

Jin leaned against Saffron with a giggle, a fond look on their face.

“Son of a bitch, are you drunk?!” Saffron hissed.

“I don’t think so? I mean, Igo… Igota weird drink from this girl at the bar… and, uh, she… I thought… ‘t was Sprite. Buuuuut,” Jin giggled again, “I don’ think it was Spite. Sprite!”

“Did you kiss me in front of all of these people because you were drunk?” Saffron asked.

“Maayyyybbbee?”

“Okay, yeah, we have to get you back to school. Can you guys take over for us?” Saffron asked, putting a bracing hand on her girlfriend’s waist.

“Sure!” Ilesha said excitedly. “Have fun, you two!”

Ilesha waved at the pair as they left before she started to talk to the crowd.

“Sorry for that, dudes and dudettes! Looks like everyone’s favorite bassist needs to take her  _ girrrrrrlllfriiieeenndddd  _ back to the dorm to make sure she’s okay! Wish her luck!’

There was some wry laughter in the crowd, some snickering, and Zohra face palmed.

“Alright! Let’s get some music!”

The music started up as Saffron took her girlfriend out of the bar, though she noticed it was raining.

She went to take off her coat and offer it to her, but she suddenly remembered that she had given it to Romy.

For a moment, she considered going back inside to ask for it back, but she decided against it.

“Come on, babe, let’s get a cab, alright?” Saffron said gently, shepherding her over to the side and letting her sit down while she got the attention of a driver.

When she had, she hefted Jin off the ground and carried her over, setting her into the car.

“Well, on the plus side, at least we know that you’re a lightweight, considering it only took one drink. Though, I hate to break it to you, you don’t feel light weight when I’m carrying you.”

Jin giggled and leaned against her side in the back of the taxi.

“I loooove you,” Jin said, staring up at her like she was magic. It was very reminiscent of how Adolpha looked at Romelle.

“Yes, like you said, in front of hundreds of people, without warning.”

“But I dooooo.”

Saffron rolled her eyes fondly, wrapping her arm around the other girl and pulling her closer.

“I love you too.”

The cab driver glanced at them from the front, frowning.

“Are you Saffron Adel?”

“Nope. Funniest thing, we just look identical, are the same type of Faunus, and have the same semblance,” Saffron said, grinning.

The man grinned and Saffron noticed that he wasn’t looking at the road, so she glanced around.

“You know, I  _ love _ your band. Can’t believe that you’re in the back of  **my** cab with a groupie!”

Saffron snorted.

Jin made a sound of disgust.

“Leaving the gig early, huh?” he asked, winking at Saffron in the mirror. “Guess she’s worth it, huh. Must be nice having girls throw themselves at you.”

Saffron snickered.

“Yeah, I guess. But she’s not exactly a groupie. Plus, I’m kinda a one woman kinda gal right now.”

“Oh, must be a special lady.”

Saffron brushed a bit of Jin’s hair out of her face.

“Yeah. She really is.”

Jin started to giggle a little, leaning closer to Saffron.

“That’s right!” Jin pointed at nothing. “She’s  _ mine, _ ladies! You… you stay away from her, ya hear me? All these… all these girls are trying to throw themselves at her… but she ain’t catching them! So that’s, uh… that’s gonna be a pretty bad fall, bitches, so be careful!” Saffron rolled her eyes as Jin fell against her side. “And… uh… oh! Right! There’s… there ‘as this one girl in a… a  _ horrible _ leather jacket… she ‘as… she was really staring at ya, you know…”

“There were a lot of girls, Jin, but you know what?”

“Hmm?”

Saffron tilted her sunglasses down to make eye contact with the other girl.

“I’ve only got  _ eyes _ for you.”

Jin started to snicker, and she fell further against her girlfriend.

“Well it’s good to see that  _ someone’s _ happy,” the cab driver said, “the girl before you was crying in the back. Didn’t have the heart to ask her to pay.”

Saffron frowned.

“Oh, hope she’s okay.”

“Yeah, she had flowers. Musta been a bad rejection.”

“That… that sounds like Romy… she… she hada lotta heart breaks too.”

“One heart break, and she’s doing better. I mean, we helped her!” Saffron said, sounding very smug.

“Yeah… yeah we did! Hehe, Romy… she’s fun, isn’t she? I like her.”

“Yeah, she’s pretty cool,” Saffron said, shrugging.

-

“Alright, come on, get out of the cab,” Saffron coaxed her out of the car, guiding her to the school after paying for herself and the girl she had heard the man talking about earlier.

Saffron hefted her a little bit before she sighed and decided just to carry her up the steps. It was easier this way.

-

“I hate to say it, but we need to go back to the room,” Romelle said.

Romy groaned from her place in Aella’s cloak.

“Mhm, mhm,” Aella leaned down like she was listening to Romy’s groans and getting words from them. “She said no.”

“What?”

“She said no, nope, nada, zilch, no chance.”

Romy groaned again.

“She also said please.”

Romy nodded under her cloak, and they could all see the small movement.

“Well we can’t all stay here, it would be suspicious. Dolphie, Lav, can you two watch her tonight?” Romelle asked.

Another groan.

“She said no again. Don’t worry, I can stay with her!” Aella said happily.

“Hey, if one of us is staying with her, it’s going to be me, I’m her sister,” Romelle said quickly, glaring at Aella.

“Hey, Alien, you’re  _ an alien, _ so unless you can somehow manage to comfort someone for an entire night, I suggest you leave it to the Detective,” Lavey said, gesturing at her sister, who grinned and did a little wave from under her cloak. “So how about you say goodnight to Flower Bitch and be on your way?”

Adolpha’s ear twitched at the nickname, but she didn’t say anything about it.

“Goodnight, Dolphie,” Romelle called before giving her a quick kiss. She turned and sought out a particular person. “Ae-Detective, can I talk to you for a second?”

“With or without Sad Girl Hours?” Aella asked.

“I just wanted to talk to you for a minute.”

Aella rolled off the bed and floated over to Adolpha.

“Hold my gremlin.”

Aella opened her arms and Romy was still clutching her chest.

Adolpha hesitated.

“You just… you gotta take her, FB.”

Adolpha slowly reached out and grabbed Romy before holding her gently.

Aella then flew over to Romelle, grinning.

“What’s up, Alien?”

Romelle patted Aella on the shoulder and then pulled her in for a quick hug.

When she pushed herself back, she spoke.

“Thanks for… for doing all of this,” she smirked a little bit. “You know, Detective, you deserve, like, six girlfriends.”

Aella laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of her neck.

“I don’t know about that, but thanks!”

“You definitely do, DBP,” Adolpha called, giving her a grin and a thumbs up.

Aella smiled shyly and looked down at the ground.

“Thanks, guys.”

Romelle said goodnight before she headed toward the other room, bumping into Saffron as she carried her girlfriend to their dorm room.

“Hey, Romelle. Why were you in team LAAC’s dorm room? I thought you were at the gig,” Saffron said.

Romelle hesitated.

“Uh… hanging out with Adolpha.”

Saffron rolled her eyes.

“Sounds like you two.”

Romelle let out a sigh of relief, though she made a mental note to come back to how easy it had been for Saffron to accept her lie.

“You know what?” Saffron said, putting the other girl on the bed. “Today was a pretty good day."

Romelle’s eye twitched.

“Yeah. Sure it was.”

Saffron glanced around.

“Hey, where’s Romy? Did she come back with you?”

“She’s spending the night in team LAAC’s room. Her and Aella came back at the same, and they decided to crash.”

Saffron hesitated.

“Oh… that’s… good for her, branching out… since she’s over Adolpha, that is…”

Saffron laid down next to her girlfriend and wrapped an arm around her, Jin curled up closer to her and smiled tiredly.

“Yeah. She’s over her. That’s for sure.”

-

Crystal pushed open the door, glancing around.

“What’s Aella doing here?” she asked.

Auburn stuck his head around her for a moment, tilting his head to the side in confusion. Clover ducked as he entered the room, putting his hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder.

“She’s sleeping over,” Adolpha said. She didn’t mention Romy, and none of them could see her, considering she was still curled up in Aella’s cloak.

“Where? This dorm’s  _ full, _ ” Crystal said.

“She’s taking my bed,” Lavey replied.

“You’re sleeping on the floor then?”

“No.”

Crystal paused.

“No,” she whispered.

“I’m confused,” Auburn whispered to Adolpha and Clover.

“Yep.”

“No!” Crystal snapped.

“You know we’ll have to get used to it at some point, right?”

Crystal hesitated.

“No,” she whispered.

“I know you’re just as serious with her as I am, so we have to.”

“I was hoping she’d dump your ass before this had to happen,” Crystal muttered.

“You too.”

Crystal groaned.

“Fine, but we need a pillow wall.”

“Ilesha sized?”

“Ilesha sized.”

Everyone stared at the two triplets, feeling as if they were in a hostage negotiation rather than one about a bed.

Aella, meanwhile, sprawled out on Lavey’s bed, scrambling under the sheets and letting Romy curl up beside her under the blanket.

The lights went off, and Lavey and Crystal crawled into bed.

“Move, you’re taking up too much room,” Crystal hissed.

“I’m literally not touching you,” Lavey replied.

“You’re touching the pillow wall, and that’s too close.”

“Then move away from the pillow wall!”

“That’s pseudo-Ilesha! You move away from her!” Crystal hissed.

“No way!”

There was a loud  **_thud_ ** .

“Bitch!” Lavey cried.

Crystal curled up closer to the pillows with a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

Lavey scrambled back onto the bed and was about to retaliate.

Before she had the chance too, a loud voice interrupted.

“Hey!” Aella called. “Keep it down over there! Little gremlins need their sleep! SGH, amiright?”

Crystal frowned in confusion, but Lavey groaned.

“Fine!”

Crystal seemed surprised by her sister’s response, but Aella smiled to herself and got comfortable, putting her chin on top of Romy’s head as she fell asleep.

Romy was surprised that she got any sleep that night.

After everything that had happened with Jin and Saffron, she had thought she was alone…

But at least she had the RPS, even if…

Well, she didn’t have time to think about that. Now, it was time for sleep.


	98. Food Fight!

Aella’s eyes opened as she heard a knock at the door.

She rolled over, causing Romy to also shift in bed, but it didn’t seem like the other girl was going to wake up.

Crystal opened the door tiredly, yawning.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“Romy,” Saffron said, her hand in Jin’s own.

_ Do you really? _ Aella thought to herself, curling up closer to her friend.

“Well look somewhere else, she isn’t here,” Crystal said, already closing the door.

“What?”

“She’s not here, so look somewhere else,” Crystal growled. “But we still have Aella though, if you want her.”

_ Uh… please no. Geez, Cy, good job directing them  _ **_right to her_ ** _ , ya idiot. _

“No, we were just worried about Romy,” Jin said, putting her head on Saffron’s shoulder.

She was squinting, even though the room was still dark.

“You okay, Jin?” Crystal asked, frowning.

“Everything hurts. It’s too bright.”

“She’s hungover,” Saffron specified, rolling her eyes.

Crystal stared at her sister with narrowed eyes.

“I can’t believe you. I’m so disappointed in you.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Jin all but whined.

“I meant I was disappointed because you were stupid enough to get drunk that way.”

“That’s fair,” Jin said, sighing as she leaned closer to Saffron.

Aella sat up just a little, waving her hand.

“No talking. Time for sleep.”

As she waved, the door was slammed shut with a gust of wind, silencing anything that Jin and Saffron could say.

Romy moved a little in her arms, and Aella was happy that she had closed it before the other girl had woken up.

“Uh… have you guys seen the news?” Adolpha asked, sitting up in bed as she stared at her scroll.

“What is it?” Lavey grumbled, rolling out of Crystal’s bed and hitting the ground with force.

Aella let out a small sound of shock, trying to catch Lavey before she hit the ground, but she wasn’t quick enough to do so.

She glanced over at Romy, frowning in confusion when she saw that Lavey’s  **_thump_ ** against the ground hadn’t woken her up.

“Dumbass stuff,” Adolpha said. It sounded like a joke, but Aella and Lavey both looked up immediately.

“How so?” Lavey asked cautiously, glancing over at Aella and Romy, who was still hidden under both the blanket and her cloak.

“It’s all about how dumbasses kissed at the bar last night,” Adolpha said, shaking her head.

Lavey’s eyes widened before she turned to face the room.

“You know what? Cy, Aub, how about you go get us some breakfast.”

Crystal scowled at her.

“I’ll take two servings!” Aella hissed.

“Of?” Auburn asked.

“Everything. Thanks!”

When the two had left the room, Adolpha and Lavey hurried over to where Aella and Romy were laying.

“Check her scroll,” Adolpha hissed.

Lavey was already doing what was suggested.

Her eyes widened.

“Why are there so many notifications?!” she muttered, clearing them all.

“I think she follows the band on everything,” Aella said. “And… every song.”

Lavey growled and then held the scroll out toward Aella.

“Open it.”

“You think I just  _ know _ her passwo-”

“Yes.”

Aella hesitated.

“Fine.”

She opened the scroll quickly, and Lavey took it back, flipping through the apps quickly.

“Oh Dust,” Lavey muttered. “There’s too much of this to unsubscribe to. I’m just taking her off the WiFi. Now the music… why in the name of Dust does she have so many sad playlists?!”

“First heartbreak,” Aella said, waving her hand. “Hasn’t been listening to them lately, but…”

“Delete it,” Adolpha said quickly.

Lavey nodded, taking off the playlist, though she noticeably didn’t delete the happy one.

“Alright… I think it’ll be fine for today, but we’re going to have to unsubscribe her in the long term.”

“Yeah, we just need to make sure that nobody talks about it,” Aella agreed.

Just then, the door opened, and the three tried to separate.

Adolpha threw herself across the room and landed on her bed. Meanwhile, Lavey leapt into the air and tried to look like she was scrambling out of the vents.

Aella thought about getting out of bed, but thought better of it when she remembered that Romy was still curled up against her.

Aella pushed her blankets off and started to levitate off of the ground, creating a mini whirlwind beneath her. She quickly sat cross legged, letting the gremlin sit in her lap as she floated toward the food.

“Uh… what the heck are you doing?” Crystal asked, frowning in confusion.

“Floating,” Aella replied.

“Why?”

“Practice.”

“For?”

“Floating.”

“Why?”

“Don’t question DBP,” Adolpha said, taking her food and passing Aella hers.

Crystal and Auburn were so distracted by the new nickname, turning to look at their older sister, that they didn’t notice when Aella reached into her cloak and passed Romy her food.

Romy yawned as she woke up, looking around the dark room. Suddenly, light shone into the cloak, and she blinked in shock as a hand passed her food. She took it slowly until she remembered where she was, and she smiled up at the top of the cloak where she knew Aella’s head would be. She settled in her lap and started to eat, though she stopped when all of the memories from last night came flooding back to her.

There was a knock on the door, and Crystal groaned as she walked over and opened it.

“I’m here for SGH,” Romelle said, her arms crossed.

“She’s eating, Alien,” Lavey called.

“Well tell her to hurry up!”

“I’m sorry, who?” Crystal asked, frowning.

“SGH.”

“DBP, she almost finished?” Adolpha asked.

“Think so,” Aella replied.

“Who is SGH?!” Crystal cried.

“I’m done,” Romy muttered.

“She’s done!” Aella called happily. “Want me to carry her around today?”

“If things go wrong, then sure,” Romelle said. “Until then, you can leave her to me.”

“You sure that’s a good idea, Alien? I mean, it’s in the name,” Lavey said, smirking.

“Shut up, Bandwagon. Just give me SGH, Detective,” Romelle growled.

Aella opened her arms and legs, her cloak flying open, and Romy fell toward the ground, getting caught by the wind just a moment before she could hit the floor.

“Here she is!” Aella said happily. “Have a good day, sweetie!”

Aella patted her friend on the top of her head with a grin.

Romy rolled her eyes and grabbed her scroll before she followed her sister out of the room.

“Wait… Romy?! She was here?! Saffron and Jin were looking for h-”

Lavey covered her sister’s mouth with her hand, rolling her eyes at the other girl.

“Yeah, yeah, come on, we need to get to class,” Lavey said quickly, casting a glance at Adolpha and Aella.

Romelle herded her sister out of the room and then tapped her forehead for a moment.

Romy sighed and connected the two of them telepathically.

_ Connect FB, Bandwagon, and DBP. _

_ Are you seriously calling them that? _ Romy thought.

_ We’re seriously helping you, so stop complaining, SGH. _

Romy let out a huff and shrugged, connecting them. It didn’t really matter to her. Not much did anymore…

_ Oh Dust,  _ Adolpha thought,  _ almost forgot about this. _

_ Me too, _ Romelle responded, glancing at her sister.

Romy slumped just a bit before she felt her sister’s hand on her shoulder.

She glanced over at Romelle, but she wasn’t looking at her.

_ Aw, look at Alien, she’s learning how to experience human emotion. Isn’t that sweet? _ Lavey thought.

_ She can experience human emotion! _ Adolpha snapped.

_ I’m sure that you of all people would know that, _ Lavey thought smugly.

Adolpha flushed a little and smacked her arm, making Crystal and Auburn glance at the two of them.

_ Guys, stop being obvious! The RPS is supposed to be a secret! _ Aella chastised.

_ Right. Sorry, Detective, _ Adolpha said, though she sent Lavey one last glare before she finished eating.

-

_ Guys. We already have an issue, _ Romelle thought.

_ You mean Sad Girl Hours being sad? _ Lavey replied with a small frown.

_ Yeah, but a specific one, _ Romelle replied, clearly frustrated by something.

_ What is it? _ Lavey replied.

_ The dumbasses are coming in, _ Romelle thought.  _ And they’re being one of those sickeningly in love couples. _

_ So like you and Flower Bitch, _ Lavey thought.

_ Who is and isn’t one of the perfect couples doesn’t matter, _ Romelle thought, a smugness to her voice,  _ what matters is that they’re here. _

_ Then what do we do? _ Adolpha asked.

Lavey was about to respond, but Aella beat her to it.

_ That’s simple! We do the first thing every handyman does! We remove the issue and then work backwards from there! _ Aella thought.

_ You want to just  _ **_remove_ ** _ them?! _ Adolpha thought worriedly.

_ We burning or burying? _ Romelle replied.

_ What?! No, we just need to get them out of the cafeteria. Or… we can get  _ **_her_ ** _ out of the cafeteria. _

_ You mean just run out with her. Full speed? _ Lavey asked.

_ I mean she could fly, _ Adolpha said.

_ That’s suspicious, _ Aella replied.

_ So is you just running out of here at full speed with her in your arms, Detective! _ Lavey hissed.

_ But that’s not that plan. _

_ What’s the plan? _ Romelle asked, frowning in confusion.

_ Just follow my lead. _

Auburn took a seat across from them, grinning.

“Did you guys see the news today?” he asked.

“What news?” Clover asked, though he was grinning, as if he knew what his boyfriend was going to say.

“About S-”

Aella reached her hand out and grabbed her spoon, filling it with food before she flipped it at her brother.

Auburn gasped in shock as it hit him.

“What was that for?” he asked, Clover wiping his face off gently.

“It was for the,” Aella quietly turned on her Semblance, “FOOD FIGHT!”

All around them, bits of food started to fly around as if thrown, hitting people in the face as if they’d been thrown. Aella had her hand hidden behind her back, trying to conceal the fact that she’d been throwing it herself with wind manipulation.

There was a commotion within the room as people started to retaliate against their teammates and friends.

As Saffron and Jin walked into the cafeteria, Aella made sure to hit them both right in the face with food before she leapt to the side, her arms and legs extending to reveal her gliders, before she grabbed the other girl, flying out of the room.

_ Cover for us! _ Aella called.

_ Damn she really did just fly out, _ Lavey thought, blinking in surprise.

Aella held Romy tighter in her arms as they soared through the hallways, and she gave a small smile as they went.

_ Take care of SGH, Detective, _ Romelle sent.

_ Don’t worry, _ Aella replied, smiling down at Romy as she held onto her,  _ I will. _


	99. GPS

Romy grabbed the doorknob, and Aella flew over, landing beside her.

_ Where are you going, SGH? _

_ SGH is going  _ **_where_ ** _?  _ Romelle replied.

_ Don’t worry, Alien, she’s not going anywhere, _ Lavey replied, watching from her bed with narrowed eyes.

Crystal looked around the room in absolute confusion.

_ I just have to go pick up something from a teacher. I mean, you guys made me miss class, so I have to go,  _ Romy thought, trying to put on a smile. It didn’t work too well, but Aella seemed somewhat placated.

_ I… guess that’s alright? _ Adolpha said, though she was clearly trying to see everyone else’s opinions.

_ Just let one of us come with you, _ Aella said, putting a hand on her arm.

_ I can go get my homework on my own, DBP, _ Romy thought, rolling her eyes.

_ Can you though? _ Lavey thought.

_ You’ve been spending the past two days telling me I’m perfectly fine alone, but now as soon as I want to be alone, it’s suddenly a bad thing?! _ Romy snapped.

Lavey hesitated, glancing between Adolpha and Aella.

_ Alright, alright, just hurry up. I want my gremlin hugs, _ Aella thought, giving Romy a wide grin before letting her leave

Romy left without saying, or thinking, another word, making her way down the hallway.

She wasn’t really paying attention to anything around her, distracted by her thoughts…

Jin and Saffron…

She could have sworn that they liked her. She could have sworn that they were flirting with her. Why else would they have been doing everything for her? Why else would they have curled up next to her at night, held her so close, been so gentle and careful with her…

But she was starting to realize that wasn’t romantic, was it?

Because the RPS was doing this for her, and they didn’t have any feelings for her. Dust, Aella was doing so much for her and hadn’t even been expecting anything from her, hadn’t thought anything about Romy in a romantic light.

If Romy didn’t know that Adolpha had had a crush on her for years, then she would have assumed that it was impossible for people to like her romantically. Maybe it was just recently. Or maybe nobody could, and Adolpha had been a statistical anomaly…

Romy guessed it didn’t really matter.

It didn’t really affect her either way if people ever had romantic feelings for her, because…

Because they wouldn’t be them.

They wouldn’t be Saffron, wouldn’t have her smug smirk, her kind smile, her gentle touch, her quiet insecurities that she never let anyone see, they wouldn’t hold her like she did… and Romy was starting to realize that she would never hold her like that again.

They wouldn’t be Jin, wouldn’t have her caring nature, her gentle hugs, the sweet smiles that she gave her… her cold demeanor that she used to hide the little sweetheart underneath… Romy suddenly figured out that she would never get to see that side of her again.

Because what she had taken as flirting and legitimate care for her as a person… had just been charity.

And… that was just what her friends were doing now, wasn’t it? It was just charity.

Even Romelle, right?

If she needed them, would they come running?

While she was lost in her thoughts, she didn’t realize that two other people had been walking down the hall toward her, another walking behind her.

“Romy!” a familiar voice cried excitedly.

Romy froze, her blood running cold as she looked ahead of her.

Jin and Saffron had been walking toward her, and she hadn’t even realized it.

“How have you been?” Jin asked.

“And  _ where _ have you been?” Saffron added, looking almost worried.

But she couldn’t be, because why would Saffron be worried for her?

“I… uh…”

_ HELP! _ Romy screamed  _ HELP! _

Romy paused for a moment. Why was she asking for help? Nobody was coming. Why would anyone ever come for her?

_ On our way! Where are you, SGH?! _ Aella thought. Down the hall, the door to team LAAC’s room was thrown open, and Adolpha hurried out.  _ You got her?! _

_ Need a distraction. _

_ Don’t worry, I have one, FB. _

Aella scrambled into the vents while Romy stared up at the two girls, not noticing when Adolpha brushed past Crystal behind the two of them.

Aella appeared in one of the vents above her, but Romy didn’t notice.

“Are you okay?” Saffron asked gently, starting to lean down some.

“I-I’m…,” Romy didn’t know how to finish the sentence, but at least she didn’t have to.

From the vents above, Aella waved her hand, and a gust of wind appeared, hitting Saffron and Jin in the legs.

Saffron made a sound of shock as she lost her balance, tipping forward.

Jin was just able to keep herself on her feet, but she reached down and grabbed her girlfriend around the waist, holding her up and barely stopping Saffron from hitting the floor.

Saffron smirked up at her, reaching one hand up to cradle Jin’s face.

“Looks like I fell for you.”

Jin rolled her eyes fondly, but there was a smile on her lips as she looked down at her.

“You’re so cheesy.”

Romy stared at the two of them with wide eyes, her heart constricting painfully in her chest.

That’s right. They didn’t need her, didn’t  _ want _ her, because they were perfect for each other.

Perfect without her.

Just then, Adolpha took off at a sprint, no longer pretending like she was walking behind her, and grabbed Romy around the waist before taking off down the hall.

Romy made a sound of shock, but Adolpha covered her mouth with one hand, as if she was kidnapping her.

Jin set down Saffron gently, giving her a fond smile before she turned back to where Romy was supposed to be.

“What?” Jin asked, frowning.

“Where’d she go?!” Saffron hissed.

“Did… did you not see that?” Crystal asked, frowning.

“See what?” Jin questioned quickly.

“Adolpha just grabbed Romy and took off at a sprint. Turned right down that hall,” Crystal said, pointing ahead of her.

The two spun around and took off down the hall.

_ Did Crystal just snitch on us?! _ Aella hissed.

_ She did  _ **_what_ ** _?!  _ Lavey cried.

_ She gave the dumbasses  _ **_directions_ ** _ to SGH, _ Aella growled.

_ Are they following us?! _ Adolpha called, skidding around another corner.

_ They’re closing in. Saffron’s using her boots, _ Lavey said.

_ Oh no. _

_ It’s alright, just drop her in the vents. _

_ What?! Where?! _

_ On your right, FB! We got you! _ Lavey thought, already opening up the ventilation door and scrambling out.

Adolpha skidded to a stop and all but threw Romy into the vents.

Romelle scrambled around her sister while Lavey threw herself into the ventilation, already shepherding Romy back toward the LAAC dorm room.

Romelle leapt at Adolpha, who caught her in a bridal style hold.

_ What are you doing?! _

_ A twin swap! _ Romelle snapped.  _ Just go with it, FB! _

Just then, Saffron and Jin turned the corner, staring at Adolpha with wide eyes.

“Romy! Adolpha!” Saffron said, letting out a breath of relief as she grinned.

“I’m Romelle,” the twin said, crossing her arms.

“What?” Jin asked, confused.

Romelle pointed at her chest.

“Romelle,” she pointed at her girlfriend, “Adolpha.”

“But… we saw Romy just a minute ago. Adolpha carried her off!” Saffron cried.

“Did you? Why would I carry Romy off?  _ Romelle’s _ my girlfriend,” Adolpha said, raising an eyebrow.

“I know which one you’re dating, but we saw you carry off Romy!” Jin cried. “Crystal even said that it was her!”

“Do you think that Crystal can tell the difference between them?” Adolpha asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well…,” Jin hesitated, “maybe not, but I can.”

“Yeah!” Saffron agreed.

“Can you? Because  _ this _ is Romelle,” Adolpha held her a little higher in the air, “and I carried her all the way here. Are  _ you _ dating a twin?”

They both hesitated.

“Yeah, didn’t think so. Didn’t hear anything about you asking Romy out, and Romelle’s taken,” Adolpha said, pulling her girlfriend closer to her chest.

Romelle nodded, putting her head on Adolpha’s shoulder.

“Well… did you see Romy?” Saffron asked.

“No, why?” Adolpha asked, tilting her head to the side just a little in confusion.

“We want to check on her,” Jin said.

“Why do you care?” Romelle snapped.

Adolpha glanced at her.

_ Stay calm, Alien, _ Adolpha thought.

Romelle ignored her.

“She’s our gremlin,” Saffron said slowly, as if she was trying to figure out her response.

Romelle’s gaze narrowed.

“No, she’s  _ my _ gremlin, because she’s  _ my _ sister. So stay away from my gremlin.”

Romelle snapped her fingers, and Adolpha started to walk down the hall, holding her gently.

-

Crystal walked into the team LAAC dorm room door, seeing Aella and Lavey.

“Hey, do you guys know why Adolpha just grabbed Romy and started running down the hallway carrying her at full sp-” Crystal paused, her eyes going wide when she saw the twin she had just been talking about. “Romy? What are you doing here? Weren’t you just…”

Crystal trailed off when she saw that there were tears in Romy’s eyes.

“What’s… what’s going on?”

“You broke a perfectly good gremlin!” Lavey snapped, gesturing at Romy. “Look at her, now she’s got depression!”

“What?!” Crystal cried, moving a bit closer to Romy, though her steps were hesitant, as if she wasn’t sure what to do.

“You broke her!”

“Okay, I know I did something wrong, but I don’t know what, and I don’t know how to fix it.”

“You should have thought about that before you did that!” Lavey hissed.

“What?!” Crystal shrieked. “I was trying to help her friends find her!”

Romy flinched at the words and pulled closer to Aella, who glared up at her sister, running a hand down Romy’s back.

“Okay… now, I  _ see _ that I said something wrong there, but I don’t know what,” Crystal said.

“Think about what you said,” Lavey growled, tapping her foot on the ground.

“What? Friends?! What’s wrong with fr-”

Crystal cut herself off, her eyes going wide.

“Oh… oh  _ no _ ,” Crystal said, her eyes going wide as she brought her hands up to her mouth and stared at Romy. “She… she likes them doesn’t she,” she whispered.

Lavey hesitated and stared at Romy. Finally, she nodded and sighed, leaning a bit against Crystal.

“Yeah. Yeah, she does.”

Crystal ran a hand through her hair and sighed, shaking her head.

“I can’t believe I did that.”

“Don’t worry, I have a way for you to make it up for her,” Lavey said, patting her sister on the arm.

“How?” Crystal asked, leaning closer to her sister with a small look of hope.

“You can join the RPS!” Lavey said, giving her sister a wide grin for a moment.

Aella looked up quickly, her eyes wide.

“We’re opening the invites?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We might as well, so someone doesn’t mess it up like that again,” Lavey said, gesturing at Crystal, who glared at her.

“Yes, but what do we call her?” Aella asked.

Lavey considered for a moment before she smirked.

“GPS.”

Aella snorted, covering her mouth with one hand before she looked over at Crystal.

“What?!” Crystal hissed. “Nicknames?!”

“Code names,” Aella corrected.

“And we all have them,” Lavey added.

“Why am I GPS?!” Crystal growled.

“Cause you pointed them  _ right to their destination, _ ” Lavey snapped.

Crystal hesitated.

“I… guess that’s fair?”

“Hey! At least you’re not Flower Bitch!” Aella said happily, giving her sister a grin.

“What?”

“We’ll fill you in later. For now, we have Sad Girl Hours to take care of,” Lavey said.


	100. Trampoline Park

Aella gasped.

“What?” Lavey asked, raising an eyebrow as she glanced over at her sister.

“I know where we’re going!” Aella cried, throwing herself out of her hammock and flying out of the room with a wide grin on her face.

She dashed down the hallway, almost hitting Crystal in the face, though she was able to narrowly avoid her by way of a quick gust of wind.

She finally reached her destination, their mothers’ room, and she threw the door open with her Semblance, dashing inside.

Weiss let out a cry of shock, already trying to form a glyph, but she hesitated when she saw her daughter swoop inside with a wide grin.

“I know what we’re doing!” she cried.

“What?” Ruby asked, glancing at Aella.

“It’s my turn to pick where we go this weekend, and we’re going to the trampoline park!” Aella cried.

“The what?” Yang asked.

“The trampoline park!” Aella said. “It’s like it was made for me!”

They all hesitated.

“I… guess that could be fun,” Blake said slowly, but she looked a little nervous, as if she was expecting Aella to have something planned.

“Great!”

Aella flew out of the room immediately, starting to get ready for their day trip.

-

“This was a mistake,” Blake said.

She glanced over at Weiss, who was currently in the foam pit with Meriah, grinning and playing with her. Blake was jealous that her wife had gotten out of this, all things considered.

Blake was currently laying on the ground, panting for breath, as she looked up at the ceiling. Above her, Aella was doing aerial stunts with her gliders extended to their full wingspan. She wasn’t even using her Semblance, something that Blake couldn’t believe, and she was still lapping her siblings and laughing at their inability to catch her.

Aella had declared that they were playing tag the moment they had gotten inside, and she’d been untouchable ever since. Some of her siblings had given up (Auburn, Akio, and Crystal had gone to sit by the side and catch their breath and complain about their sister, who really shouldn’t be able to do this).

Blake supposed that this wasn’t really a fair fight, considering Aella was using her gliders and was used to flying, but everyone else was using their Semblances, even Akio had, but none of them had been successful at catching their sister as she gracefully swooped overhead, doing different twirls and curves as she evaded them.

Lavey was getting frustrated, and she was using her Semblance to propel herself higher and higher into the air in desperate attempts to catch her. It hadn’t worked, and she had eventually given up and gotten Adolpha.

Adolpha had tried to get Aella as well, but she had claimed that her younger sister was too unpredictable to guess what she was going to do next.

They’d been going at this for  _ hours _ now, and even with Jin’s help, Adolpha wasn’t able to get any closer to Aella than she had when they’d first started.

Aella didn’t seem winded in the slightest, which was ironic considering her Semblance, and she looked like she could do this for the rest of the day. Unfortunately for her, the trampoline park was closing, which meant that it was up to team RWBY to corral their children back into the van.

Blake did a quick head count, finding that all three wives and all eight children were in the van, so she hurried to the front.

“Okay, let’s get back home and get some rest. Today… was a  _ day, _ ” Blake said.

Aella nodded excitedly in the backseat, still staring at the trampoline park. She glanced around the car for a moment, finding that everyone was looking ahead or passed out. Looks like they were all tired from the day… which meant.

Aella looked up, finding that the sunroof was open. Her eyes widened, and she took one last look around the car before she opened her gliders and wiggled out of her seatbelt, throwing herself into the air. She escaped out of the sunroof right before the car started to drive off.

Aella grinned to herself as she flew over to the top of the building. She scurried around for a moment before she found the opening to the ventilation and laughed. She pulled her screwdriver out of her cloak before she popped the vent door open and smirked. She popped her shoulder before she scrambled into the vents.

A few minutes later, she reappeared in the trampoline park. There was no one there, and the lights were out, but she liked the dark, and she didn’t like crowds.

So it was perfect!

She raced over to the trampolines and let out a laugh as she started to bounce around in the room, giggling as she flipped through the air with ease, letting the wind whip around her.

-

Blake let out a sigh of relief as she shepherded her children into the house, doing another head count.

That’s right, three wives and seven children.

Wait.

Wait, that's not right.

There were eight children now, had been for five years.

Who was missing?!

She went in order of birth.

Adolpha, Jin, Akio-

Aella!

Where was Aella?!

She spun around, eyes wide.

“Has anyone seen Aella?!” Blake cried.

“She flew out the sunroof,” Crystal said.

“She WHAT?!” Blake shouted.

“She flew out the sunroof.”

“Why didn’t you say something?!”

“Because,  _ mother, _ I was pretty much passed out in the back because you let your sugar glider Faunus child go to the trampoline park and play tag!” Crystal snapped.

Blake groaned and threw herself into the van, speeding down the road.

She knew where her daughter had to be.

-

Aella giggled as she fell through the air, enjoying the wind in her hair. Her eyes had fallen shut, and she was just enjoying the tranquility of the situation-

“AELLA SUN BELLADONNA-SCHNEE!” a voice interrupted.

Aella cried out in shock and almost fell out of the sky as she screamed.

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!” Blake cried.

“Well… if you found me here… presumably here the whole time?” Aella asked, trying to give her mother a smile, but it didn’t really seem to lighten the mood like she wanted it to.

“Let me rephrase,” Blake seethed, “WHY are you here?!”

“Because it’s fun!” Aella cried, grinning a little.

Blake’s eye twitched.

“We’re leaving.”

Aella started to pout.

“Just ten more minutes?” Aella whined.

“You’re already here two hours after closing.”

“Which means that it doesn’t matter how late we stay, because it’s already closed,” Aella replied.

Blake hesitated.

“Five minutes.”

Aella cheered and gave her mother a hug before she dashed off.


	101. Headphones

“I'm being followed by the rain clouds.”

Romy was curled up in Aella’s cloak, hiding from the world as the other girl held her close.

“My clothes are soaking up the pain that comes pouring down.”

She swayed a bit to the music. It wasn’t Adax Band, but she supposed it was a good song.

“Too much more and I may drown.”

Romy sniffled a little as she listened, curling up closer to Aella. She knew it wasn’t the same as them, but nothing would ever be.

“I'm being followed by the night sky, it stole away my sight.”

Romy really did feel blind without them. Where was she? Without them, who was she? Just another depressed woman who had failed at love yet again?

Even her life story wasn’t original.

“It seems I have lost my way, I need someone to be my guide.”

Aella looked into her cloak, raising an eyebrow.

“Wait, Romy, are you listening to a song? Where did you get headphones?! We took them away!” Aella hissed, reaching down and grabbed the headphones, yanking them out of her friend’s ears with narrowed eyes.

Romy sniffled and Aella instantly changed her demeanor.

“Aw, come here, little gremmy!”

She pulled the other girl closer and held her tightly, putting her chin on top of her head.

-

“Stranger, that's all I see when I look into your eyes.”

Romy was sitting in lunch, looking around the cafeteria. Her eyes landed on Saffron and Jin, and she noticed that the former didn’t have her gloves on. She shouldn’t care… but she was still happy for her.

“A soulmate who wasn't meant to be, a stranger who knows all my secrets.”

She shouldn’t care in the slightest, shouldn’t stare at them the way she did.

Shouldn’t love them the way she did.

“Can pull me apart and break my heart…”

Romy supposed that was exactly what had happened, wasn’t it?

“I am under your control.”

Romy stared at them, staying still as she let the music fill her ears. She really would do anything for them, even after everything.

“I will never understand… I never should have said ‘I love you,’ you never said it back.”

Romy sniffled.

“So why do I still care for you?”

Romy’s head ducked as she started to cry again.

Romelle looked up, frowning.

“Son of a-SGH! Are you crying?!” she hissed.

“No?” Romy said between tears, wiping at her face.

Romelle reached up and brushed a bit of her sister’s hair away from her face.

Romy had started to wear her hair down instead of up, specifically to hide that she was listening to music…

But she also couldn’t put it up herself.

Not after all the times Jin had done it for her.

-

“But if the world was ending, you'd come over, right?”

Romy was curled up on the bed. She was on her own, as most people had gone to class, but Adolpha had cut today to spend time with her. At least one person had to stay with Romy from the RPS everyday to make sure she didn’t do anything to make herself sadder.

“You'd come over and you'd stay the night… Would you love me for the hell of it?”

If everything was ending, would they come over? Would they tell her they loved her, if only for the comfort? Would they lie into the void as it consumed them, to comfort their friend?

Would she even believe it then?

“All our fears would be irrelevant if the world was ending.”

Or would she even care? If everything was over, why would it matter how they felt?

Who was she kidding? It would always be important to her, even if everything was over.

“You'd come over, right? The sky'd be falling while I'd hold you tight.”

If everything was ending, they’d hold her, right? Would it really change anything?

“No, there wouldn't be a reason why we would even have to say goodbye.”

Romy sniffled and curled up closer to herself, squeezing her eyes shut.

“If the world was ending, you'd come over, right?”

Would they even care? Would they still be there?

Adolpha leaned up and frowned when she saw that Romy was crying.

“SGH?! Are… are you listening to music again?!”

Adolpha vaulted herself off of the bed and dashed over to her, stealing the headphones out of her ears.

“Hey, hey, come here,” Adolpha said gently, curling up on the bed next to her friend and holding her gently.

Romy kept crying against her shoulder.

-

Romy looked around the room quickly.

Crystal was the only one in there, and so far GPS didn’t seem to really know what she was doing, which meant that Romy had a good chance at getting away with listening to her music.

She didn’t know why she wanted to. It only hurt her.

But she wanted Jin and Saffron too, and so did they.

“I remember mornings when my head didn't hurt.”

Romy leaned back and stared up at the ceiling.

“And I remember nights when art didn't feel like work.”

She could remember nights where everything felt perfect, like nothing hurt. Like she was on top of the world. But that had been then.

And it hadn’t even been hers.  _ They _ hadn’t been hers.

“She wakes up at noon and she's out 'til three, she leaves her perfume all over me.”

Romy rolled over and stared up at the jacket that she had put in the closet. Saffron’s. It still smelled like her perfume, and Romy was terrified for the day when it would finally be gone, the last piece of her fading away…

“But I remember mornings when my head didn't hurt.”

She could remember days when her head didn’t hurt from the constant crying. Could remember days when she hadn’t thought anything could ruin what she had.

What a fool she’d been.

Crystal sat up at the first sniffle.

“SGH, are you okay?” Crystal wracked her brain for the instructions she had been given for this situation.

Hold her, right?

Crystal cautiously crept across the room silently, like a cat that was sneaking up on its prey.

As she went, she froze, seeing that Romy had headphones in.

Her eyes went wide and she leapt forward, tackling the other girl.

Romy screamed in shock as Crystal scrambled over and yanked her headphones out.

“NO HEADPHONES!” Crystal screamed, shoving them into her pocket. “Where do you keep getting them?!”

Romy didn’t respond, didn’t want to tell her that she may or may not have been attaining them through less than legal channels.

Crystal just groaned and rolled over, laying down next to Romy and staring up at the ceiling with her.

Crystal silently reached out and pulled Romy closer to her, letting the other girl put her head on her shoulder while she cried.

-

“Don't patronize me, 'cause I can't make you love me if you don't.”

Romy froze at the song. She didn’t recognize this one, but she could already tell that it fit perfectly.

“You can't make your heart feel something it won't.”

It won’t ever, will it? They never will.

“Here in the dark, in these final hours, I will lay down my heart and I'll feel the power.”

She could remember sleeping curled up between them, listening to their heartbeats and letting their presence soothe her to sleep.

“But you won't, no you won't, 'cause I can't make you love me, if you don't.”

That’s what made Romy start to cry. They wouldn’t love her, would they? And she couldn’t make them love her.

Couldn’t make herself be enough for them, and she never would be.

“I'll close my eyes, then I won't see the love you don't feel when you're holding me.”

That’s what had always happened, wasn’t it? She had her eyes closed while they looked over her, didn’t see the way they looked at each other.

“Morning will come and I'll do what's right, just give me till then to give up this fight…”

Lavey spun where she was sitting when she saw that Romy was crying again, and she stole the scroll out of her hands.

“You’re listening to sad music again?! Dust, don’t you have any happy music?” Lavey asked, scrolling through it. “Ah, here’s some.”

She started another song.

“This sinking feeling sets, it feels just like a hole inside your chest.”

Romy froze when Saffron’s familiar voice filled her ears. This was her happy playlist she’d made for Romy.

“I know you're thinking no, no, no, no, it is easier said than done, but please let me attest!”

Romy immediately started to cry harder, and Lavey frowned in confusion, sitting down next to her.

“I know it's hard, you're feeling like you're trapped, but that's how you react when you cannot see the light, but try and see the light!:

Romy could remember listening to this when she was having a hard day, could remember smiling every time she remembered all the work that Saffron had gone through to record her these songs.

“I'm tellin' you no, no, no, no, you're the only one standing in your way.”

Romy curled up in a ball, and Lavey glanced at the scroll to figure out what was wrong.

“Just take a breath, relax, and tell me why-”

Lavey’s eyes widened and she turned off the music.

“Why is all of your happy music Adax Band?!” Lavey hissed.

Romy sniffled.

“She recorded them for me.”

_ Son of a bitch! If a girl wrote me an album, I’d think she liked me too! _ Lavey thought.  _ Ilesha did that for us! _

Lavey sat down beside Romy and pulled her into her arms.

This… was going to be harder than Lavey thought it was going to be.


	102. Electric Piano

Romy looked around for a moment, making sure that none of the members of the RPS were nearby. She didn’t want them to know that she was going to go cry. They worked so hard to make her happy, and she wanted them to think that she was getting better… even if she wasn’t. Even if she didn’t think that she ever would.

After all, how were you supposed to move on from the loves of your life? The people you thought that you could spend the rest of your life with, but didn’t want you? The people that you had been nothing more than charity to.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair before she stepped into the music room. There was nobody around, she had made sure of that. Which meant that she could finally cry without them trying to fix what they couldn’t.

Aella… she was a fixer, and everyone was trying to help her. But they couldn’t fix this, couldn’t fix her. There was nothing that could be done… nothing left to do but cry until she was numb.

She took a seat at the piano and started to play.

“Look at me now, such a pitiful place.”

She was singing quietly to herself, but her voice was filled with emotion.

“You found someone,” _ even if it was each other _ , she added in her head, “I thought that'd help erase these crazy thoughts that we were never broken.”

Romy was already crying, but she really didn’t care.

“You can't see red flags with rose colored glasses!”

She guessed that Saffron of all people wouldn’t be able to, considering her sunglasses.

“I hate that I miss you, I hate that I'm lost!”

Romy had her eyes squeezed shut, and she didn’t realize that there was someone standing in the doorway.

“I hate those dead flowers you taped to your wall!”

Romy idly wondered what had happened to the bouquet that she had gotten for them. She supposed it didn’t really matter.

“I hate that you're okay and I can't move on!”

Without them, she was lost, no idea where to go. But without her… they were perfectly fine.

“I hate that somehow this is all my fault! I hate that I'm wide awake watching the door!”

Romy could hardly sleep anymore, her mind clogged with images and thoughts of them.

“I hate these long showers sitting on the floor! I hate in the end it was me who was wrong!”

She had been wrong, hadn’t she? She had thought that maybe, just maybe, they had been interested in her. How could she have thought that?

“I hate that I don't really hate you at all!”

Outside, Ilesha pulled out her scroll, grinning.

Ilesha: Did you know that Romy can play the piano?!

Jinny: What?! She can?!

Ilesha: Yeah, she’s in the music room right now!

Ilesha changed contacts.

Ilesha: BABES! Did you know that Romy could play the piano and sing?!

Stally: What? She can?

Lav-Lav: What’s she playing?

Ilesha: A song called Hate You.

Lav-Lav: Okay. Read this very carefully, because I know you get distracted: DID YOU MESSAGE THIS TO JIN?!

Ilesha: Yup!

Lav-Lav: Get her out of there.

Ilesha: What?!

Stally: Get her out of there. Make a distraction.

Ilesha: Can do!

“If I see you out with friends, I'll just tell myself that it's a phantom or illusion… guess I haven't chosen which…,” Romy sang.

Ilesha shoved her scroll into her pocket and raced toward Romy, who was finishing the song.

“I hate that I don't really hate you at all… but I kind of wish I did… I don't really hate you at all…”

Ilesha grabbed Romy around the waist just as Jin and Saffron rounded the corner.

Ilesha sprinted out of the room with Romy under her arm, carrying her like a football. She put her hand on an electrical outlet for a moment, and a burst of electricity shot out of her fingers, hitting the outlet and causing all of the lights to go out.

Jin and Saffron could still see, but the moment they got out of the room, they were overwhelmed by all of the people that were panicking around them.

Ilesha sprinted down the halls until she found team LAAC’s dorm room, skidding to a stop outside of it.

“I brought her here!” Ilesha called, knocking on the door.

Romy still looked confused, as if she didn’t know where she was or what was going on.

Lavey threw open the door, grabbing Romy and putting her down gently.

“Thanks, Il,’ Lavey said, giving her a fond smile.

“No prob! Mind telling me what’s happening?” Ilesha asked, glancing over at the crying Romy.

“We’re protecting her!” Aella called. “Although… we might not have been doing the best job right then… but we can fix it!”

“What’s wrong with her?”

“That’s a long story. How about you tell  _ us _ what happened first,” Crystal said, shepherding her girlfriend in before she closed the door behind the other girl.

“Well, she was playing the piano, and then she was crying, and then I ran off while carrying her,” Ilesha said, counting on her fingers as she spoke.

“Did you cause the blackout?” Adolpha asked.

Ilesha nodded.

Ilesha glanced around, finding herself surprised that Aella  _ and _ Romelle were here.

What was going on?

It was almost like they were communicating silently.

“We hereby pronounce you the newest member of the Romy Protection Squad,” Aella said formally. “Henceforth, you shall be called Electric Piano, or EP for short.”

Ilesha had no idea what was going on, but she guessed that didn’t really matter.

After all, she was helping Romy at least.


	103. The Jacket

Romy reached out slowly to grab the jacket. It had been a few days since the gig where she had seen Jin and Saffron… four days, to be exact, and Romy didn’t want to admit she knew how many hours it had been too.

Saffron hadn’t had this jacket for long, but long enough for her perfume to have gotten on it.

Romy started to put the jacket on, but she froze.

The perfume was gone.

The scent was gone, and now all Romy could smell on it was the carnival. The popcorn, the cotton candy, the red panda she had given Romy that was in the team LAAC dorm room closet.

Romy couldn’t bear to get the stuffed animal out of the closet, not after everything that had happened.

She started to cry as she curled up in the jacket, unable to smell Saffron’s perfume anymore.

_ What’s going on with SGH? She went quiet, _ Electric Piano thought.

_ I don’t know, who’s there? _ Flower Bitch replied.

_ She’s wearing Short Dumbass’ jacket, _ GPS sent, hurrying over to her.  _ What’s wrong, SGH? I mean, apart from the usual… _

_ It’s… it’s gone. _

_ What?  _ Bandwagon asked, fear in her voice as it carried into their heads.

_ The jacket… her perfume is gone. _

_ What?! _ GPS thought.

_ Oh no, the jacket! _ Detective sent, her eyes going wide.  _ Saffron’s jacket lost her perfume. _

_ Literally how?! She wears so much of the stuff, _ Bandwagon replied.

_ I know…, _ Sad Girl Hours replied.

There was a beat of sad silence at the words before Aella spoke up… or, well, thought up? That was confusing, wasn’t it?

_ Don’t worry, SGH, we can get you a new one! Don’t worry! _ Detective Bubble Pipe thought.

Romy didn’t reply, and Aella looked around the room for a moment. She was in class at the moment, and it happened that she was in the same one as Jin and Saffron.

Saffron was, surprisingly enough, wearing a jacket that Aella didn’t quite recognize. It was odd to see Saffron wearing one, but Aella guessed that it didn’t really matter  _ why _ she was wearing one, but more that she was at all.

Saffron shrugged the jacket off as Coco spoke, putting it on the back of the chair behind her and turning back to the lesson.

Aella glanced around for a moment before she reached both of her hands out and moved as if to beckon the jacket toward her.

The jacket started to lift into the air to Aella, floating over.

She took one last furtive glance around the room before she had it shoot toward her.

She snatched it out of the air, shoving the large article of clothing into her cloak with a grin.

_ See? No big deal, SGH! I already got you a replacement! _

_ You can’t replace her, _ SGH thought.

_ No, not for her- _

DBP was cut off.

_ Damnit, can’t you try to not be depressing for five seconds, Romy? _ Romelle replied.

Romy curled up on herself where she lay, and Crystal scowled.

_ Hey, watch it, Alien, _ she snapped.

Romelle hesitated.

_ Right. Sorry, SGH, _ Alien sent.

Romy didn’t reply, but she was still huddled in her jacket.

_ Hey, don’t worry, SGH! _ Detective thought.  _ Class is almost over, I’ll be back in a few! _

-

Aella threw open the dorm room door.

_ I have returned, SGH! With a prize of great value indeed! _ DBP thought, flourishing the jacket in front of her with a smug smirk on her face.

Romy looked up from the jacket for a moment, though her face was stained with tears.

_ Hey, it’s alright, _ Detective thought comfortingly.  _ It’s going to be alright. _

_ Is it? _ SGH replied, though there wasn’t any malice in her thoughts. It was more of a quiet resignation.

_ Of course it is, _ DBP comforted, sitting down beside her.  _ Now how about you take a deep breath and just relax? _

Aella drooped the jacket around Romy’s shoulders.

There was a moment of silence and she looked down at her jacket.

_ Is this… Saffron’s? _ SGH thought.

_ Yup! Snatched it right off her shoulders! _ Detective replied.

_ I… you did?  _ SGH asked.

_ Yeah? Why, do you want another one? _ DBP asked, setting her hand on SGH’s shoulder.

_ It… it’s Jin’s, _ Sad Girl Hours replied.

_ What? _

_ It’s Jin’s jacket. It has her perfume on it. _

_ It… it does? _ Detective thought.

_ Saffron… was wearing Jin’s jacket. Good… good for her. _

Aella wrapped her arms around Romy, but she didn’t move, still staring down at the jacket.

_ Give it back. _

Aella frowned.

_ What? _

_ Give it back to her, _ SGH thought.

_ Why? _

_ Jin gave her the jacket… if… if Jin gave me a jacket, I wouldn’t want anyone to take it, so give it back. _

Aella hesitated, clearly waiting for anyone else to weigh it.

It seemed they were just as shocked as her, and she cursed them internally.

_ Are you sure? _ Detective asked gently.

_ I’m sure. _

Aella ran her hand up and down her arm.

_ Okay. Okay, I can give it back. Do you want me to send someone else or- _

_ I’ve got her, _ Electric Piano thought, sitting down beside Romy and wrapping an arm around her.  _ You know, that was a really good thing you just did there. Even if things don’t work out with them, I’m sure that you’ll find someone, or multiple someones, who would just find you  _ **_adorable_ ** _! _

Romy sniffled as Aella slowly stood up, walking out of the room with the jacket.

_ But… I don’t want someone else. _

-

“Jin, do you know where my jacket went?” Saffron asked. “I thought I put it on the back of my chair…”

“You mean  _ my _ jacket, and you lost it  _ already _ ?!”

“It’s my jacket, and it was the moment I stole it. And I didn’t lose it, someone took it,” Saffron growled.

“Like someone took your last jacket?” Jin asked.

“Someone  _ did _ take it, but I just haven’t… gotten around to asking for it back…,” Saffron hesitated, thinking of Romy, and Jin frowned, staring at her girlfriend.

“What?”

Saffron shook her head.

“Nothing. Let’s just find it, alright?”

“Find what?” a familiar voice called down the hall.

Saffron jumped, not having sensed Aella.

What had she done with the Dust Saffron had planted on her?!

“Looking for this?”

Aella held up the jacket and dangled it back and forth.

“You dropped it in the hall. You should be more careful, this is, like, the seventh piece of clothing you’ve lost to me. I almost think you’re trying to send me a message.”

Saffron flushed and rolled her eyes while Jin glared at her sister.

“You want it back or not?” Aella asked.

Saffron stalked over and got her jacket back, rolling her eyes.

“Thanks,” she muttered, and Aella gave her a grin.

“You know me, just trying to fix stuff!” Aella called before saluting her. With that, she scrambled back into the vents that she had come from.

-

Ilesha glanced over at the slumbering Romy.

“Guys… I think we should start being on telepathy all the time,” she said.

“You think?” Lavey asked, frowning.

“Yeah, today was… it was bad, and I know that you guys have a certain way you do things, but this is… she’s really upset, and I think that she could use a few voices in that head of hers other than her own. You know, some people to tell her that she’s doing great!” Ilesha said happily.

“You’re literally the personification of ‘you’re doing great, sweetie!’” Lavey said, rolling her eyes fondly.

“No, that’s DBP,” Adolpha replied, pointing at her sister, who grinned.

“I saw her congratulate Romy on holding back her tears yesterday instead of crying,” Crystal said, rolling her eyes.

“Well she held back her tears like a real champ!” Aella defended.

“I think it’s a good idea, EP,” Romelle said, looking serious as she glanced at her sister. “She’s… she’s doing worse than I thought she would.”

“Really?” Ilesha asked. “Why?”

Romelle hesitated.

“I… I don’t know.”

“If Lavey and Crystal told me that they didn’t like me, I wouldn’t be handling it much better,” Ilesha said, smiling at her girlfriends. “Wouldn’t you if Adolpha said that?”

“Nicknames!” Aella hissed.

“Right! It’s… Bandwagon, GPS, and FB!”

Romelle didn’t seem to notice what Aella had said.

“I… no. No, I wouldn’t.”

They all glanced at her.

Adolpha frowned, shifting. She knew she would if Romelle said that to her.

“Alien, just because you would be handling something better than her, doesn’t make her weak for not being able to,” Aella said, putting a hand on Romelle’s shoulder.

Romelle stiffened a bit, glancing at Aella.

“I dealt with it for years, I don’t see why it’s such a big deal,” Romelle said harshly, not looking at Aella or Romy.

“Romelle,” she was surprised when Aella dropped the nickname, “you know it’s alright to  _ experience emotions, _ right? You don’t just have to… bottle them up and throw them away, right?” Aella asked.

Romelle started to ignore the words before she realized that she was  _ actively _ bottling that up.

“O-of course I do.”

Adolpha’s eyes widened as she stared at her girlfriend.

“Do you really?” Aella asked, leaning closer.

“I…,” Romelle glanced at her sister finally, her eyes growing nervous as she saw her curled up around the jacket, looking so small as she slept fitfully.

“What’s wrong, Romelle?” Aella asked.

Romelle finally sighed and let herself slump over.

“I’m worried.”

“About what?” Aella questioned gently.

“Romy.”

“Why?”

“I’ve… I’ve never seen her like this before. I don’t know what to do,” Romelle admitted in a quiet voice.

“You know what?” Aella whispered.

“What?” Romelle asked, sniffling.

“That’s alright.”

Romelle started to cry, and Aella opened her arms, letting the other girl fall into her gliders and cradling her gently.

“Shhhh, it’s alright, it’s alright.”

Adolpha gaped at her sister in shock.

This was the  _ second _ time she had seen her fix Romelle when she had no idea what was wrong with her girlfriend, and Adolpha was starting to think she was some sort of wizard or witch to understand emotions so well.

Aella ran her hand down Romelle’s hair and let her cloak surround them.

“It’s alright to admit that you don’t know what you’re doing, you know. And it’s alright that you’re scared.”

Romelle nodded against her, grabbing her shirt in a way that reminded Aella so much of her sister.

When Romelle relaxed some, Aella beckoned Adolpha over and let her hold her girlfriend.

“Well,” Aella whispered to herself, “at least that’s one twin fixed.”


	104. Locksmith

_ Come on, SGH, I think it’ll cheer you up! _ DBP thought.

SGH didn’t think so, but she didn’t respond.

_ Come on, hurry up, _ Alien replied, rolling her eyes as she tapped her foot impatiently on the ground.

_ Fine, _ SGH replied.

She didn’t want to step into the dorm room, not with all of the memories that she had there.

But she supposed that she had to at some point.

She had to move on, right? But Romy didn’t know if she  _ could _ move on from them.

Perhaps she could just continue her life and act like she hadn’t had her heart broken for the second and final time… because she knew that she wouldn’t be able to fall for someone else, not when they were still out there, still being so… perfect.

Romy couldn’t explain it any more than that, and she didn’t think that she wanted to.

_ Stop being sad and start working, SGH! _ DBP said, grinning.

_ I think sad is actually in my nickname, Detective, _ SGH replied, though there was the barest hints of a smile on her face.

_ Yeah, but maybe when you’re happier, we can change that! You can just be Girl Hours!  _ DBP thought.  _ Or Happy Girl Hours? HGH? Wait, that’s not as easy to say as SGH. Guess we’ll have to think about it. _

Romelle gave her a suffering look before she turned back to her sister, gesturing at the beds.

_ Why can’t we just go back to their dorm room? _ SGH all but whined.

_ Because with us, there are seven people in that room, and that’s kinda cramped, ya know? _ DBP thought.

_ But… _

Aella put a hand on her friend’s shoulder and gave her a consoling look, but Romy knew that was the end of it. She supposed that it was also suspicious for them to be in team LAAC’s dorm room all the time, but she hadn’t wanted to think about that.

She sometimes wondered if Saffron and Jin worried about her. But she supposed that was stupid.

_ Stop being sad and help me with the beds, damnit, _ Alien thought.

Romy jumped and hurried over, letting her sister distract her.

They started to lift Romy’s bed over their heads, setting it on top of Romelle’s and securing it with duct tape that Aella provided.

While they started to hang the concealing blanket around them, Aella dashed around, starting to secure the beds more while they weren’t looking. She nailed them together and tied a few ropes to various items that were around the room. She didn’t want a gremlin to flop off of her bed onto her sister, after all, did she?

Romy and Romelle were giggling to themselves as they communicated silently. Aella was sure they were reminiscing on different schemes and pranks they had pulled off when this enclosure was last set up, and she let a small smile grow across her lips. At least they were getting better, right?

If nothing, the two of them were closer now.

Romy yawned as they finished setting it up, and they all turned to her, eyes wide.

_ You tired? _ Alien asked hesitantly.

The RPS had been struggling to get Romy to sleep lately, and they couldn’t remember the last time she had had more than a thirty minute nap.

Romy nodded, and Romelle grinned.

_ How about you get some sleep then? I’ll finish putting up the barrier, and you can get the rest you need. _

Romy didn’t respond, just yawning again and nodding.

Romelle helped her sister to her top bunk, and she smiled when she saw her sister drift to sleep, the telepathy between them cutting off as soon as she did so.

-

**RPS**

Flower Bitch: Did she fall asleep?!

Detective Bubble Pipe: Yup! Out like a light!

Alien: I wouldn’t say that, considering she’s twitching while she sleeps, but yes, she’s asleep.

Electric Piano: Aww, wait, wait there’s a problem!

Bandwagon: What?!

Electric Piano: The dumbasses are coming down the hall.

Global Positioning System: We’ve got to stop them!

Bandwagon: No shit, GPS, but how?!

Global Positioning System: Throw her out the window?

Detective Bubble Pipe: She’s sleeping.

Alien: Take their kneecaps?

Detective Bubble Pipe: That’s my sister, so NO, plus I have a better idea. EP! Get Coopy Poo!

Electric Piano: He lets you call him that?!

Detective Bubble Pipe: No time for me being the best friend in the universe, you know, Coopy Poo’s favorite. Just send him!

Electric Piano: Fine.

-

“Coop, no time for questions, I need you to go to team JARR’s dorm room.”

Cooper glanced up and gave her a small smile.

“Oh, okay,” he said, pushing away from Mavros.

“Aella said to hurr-”

“Elly said to hurry?!” he cried, throwing himself to his feet and racing down the hall. “I’m coming, Elly!”

Cooper dashed past Jin and Saffron as they neared the team JARR dorm room, slamming the door closed behind him without realizing that they had followed.

“Lock the doors!” Aella hissed as soon as she saw him.

Cooper spun on his heel and knelt down in front of the mechanical lock for the dorm room door, which could only be opened with a teammate’s scroll.

“Can you please not open?” he asked.

The lock made a whirling sound, and Cooper grinned in excitement.

“Thanks!” he hissed.

He turned around, and Aella grinned, throwing herself at him.

He laughed as she tackled him to the ground, using her gliders to encase him.

“Thanks, Coopy Poo!” she hissed.

Cooper set his head on her chest with a small smile on his face, staring up at her.

“No prob, Elly, but… I do kind of want to know what’s going on.”

“Oh, it’s the RPS, it’s been  _ horrible _ not telling you! But now you can get a cool nickname too!” Aella cried enthusiastically.

Cooper didn’t know what was going on, but he was smiling at her nonetheless.

-

RPS

_ Cooper Schnee-Polendina was added to the chat _

Global Position System: What’s he doing here?

Detective Bubble Pipe: Saving us. He just stopped the dumbasses from walking in.

Cooper Schnee-Polendina: The who?

Detective Bubble Pipe: The people we’re avoiding.

Cooper Schnee-Polendina: Oh.

Detective Bubble Pipe: Yeah! And since he locked the door, I’m thinking we call our newest member…

_ Cooper Schnee-Polendina’s nickname has been changed to Locksmith _

Global Positioning System: Why does everyone else get good nicknames?!

Flower Bitch: Are you really the one complaining?

-

Jin put her scroll against the door finally, having been distracted by Cooper racing past her.

_ ACCESS DENIED _

“What?!”

She tried again.

_ ACCESS DENIED _

“Come on!” she hissed.

Saffron watched her, arms crossed as she raised an eyebrow.

Jin tried a third time.

_ ACCESS DENIED _

“What’s going on?!”

“Don’t worry, I got this,” Saffron said.

Saffron reached her hand out, setting her glove on the doorknob.

The door froze, and Saffron twisted it harshly, causing it to break off.

The door fell backwards, revealing the room to them-

For a split second before a gust of wind caught it, sending the door slamming back to hit Saffron in the face.

“Sorry, this dorm room’s occupied!” Aella called.

Jin hesitated.

“What?!” she called.

“It’s  _ occupied, _ ” Aella replied.

Jin growled, pounding her fist against the door.

“Stop messing around, Aella, let us in!” Jin called.

“Hmmm… no, I don’t think I’m going to!” Aella yelled.

Jin hesitated.

“Who’s in there with you?”

If Aella was…  _ occupied, _ that meant, presumably, it was  _ with someone, _ right?

“Just Coopy Poo and the Twinnie Poos!” Aella called back.

“Never call me that again,” Romelle grumbled, just audible from outside.

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Aella hissed.

Cooper, Romelle, and Romy…

Well, it  _ definitely _ couldn’t be Cooper, considering Aella was a lesbian…

Romelle was completely monogamous…

So that left…

Jin growled.

“Aella, stop messing around and let us in!” she snapped, letting her best  _ I’m done with your shit _ voice take over.

“Messing around? Me? Well, that doesn’t sound very in character!” Aella cried innocently.

Inside the room, Aella had scrambled onto the top bunk, covering Romy’s ears with both of her hands in an effort to help her stay asleep.

Saffron glared at the door before she clenched her fist.

She let her left glove fly off, pushing against the door.

The wind was more than a match for it, and she growled, swinging her fist. The moment it connected with the door, a bit of Dust  _ exploded, _ taking the door with it.

Saffron glanced at Jin, expecting her girlfriend to say something along the lines of “was that really necessary?”

She was surprised when she didn’t, instead just walking in.

Cooper gasped, staring at the door.

“No, not Doory.”

Aella glanced over at Cooper as he started to pout, staring at it.

“Awww, don’t worry, Coopy Poo, I can fix her up good as new,” she turned to Jin and Saffron, glaring. “You made Coopy Poo upset.”

Jin looked around for a moment, her eyes wide as she took in the blanket wall again. She had had that taken down at the beginning of the first semester!

“Why’s that back up?” Jin demanded.

“Privacy,” Romelle replied, smirking a bit as she looked at the two.

Saffron and Jin both hesitated.

“I thought… you were here with the twins, Aella,” Jin said, glancing around the room.

Romelle was on the bottom bunk, lounging on it, Cooper was, somehow, up in the hammock with a wide grin on his face, and Aella was sitting on the top bunk.

“I am!” Aella said happily.

She unwrapped her cloak and shifted her arms a bit, revealing that Romy was asleep, curled up in her arms as she held onto her shirt.

“Now can you  _ please _ keep it down? My little gremlin is trying to sleep,” Aella said, running a hand through Romy’s hair gently and smiling down at her fondly.

Her gremlin?

Jin and Saffron hesitated, glancing at each other.

“It’s five in the afternoon, why does she need to sleep?” Saffron asked.

“Oh, you know her!” Aella said evasively, giving them a grin.

“Or, maybe you do,” Romelle added, raising an eyebrow.

“We know her,” Saffron said, crossing her arms.

Aella giggled.

“Guys, guys, we don’t have to worry about who her favorite is, just let her get some rest, okay?”

Jin’s eyes narrowed, and Saffron crossed her arms.

“I think that’s a  _ great _ idea, Elly!” Cooper offered.

Aella gave him a grin.

“Thanks, Coopy Poo!”

Aella gave them one last spare look before she put her arms around Romy to secure her, slowly laying back on the top bunk and letting Romy rest her head on her chest.

“See? Was that so hard?” Aella asked.


	105. Window Sills

_ Guys! I had an idea! _ Locksmith said excitedly.

_ What, Coopy Poo? _ DBP asked.

_ Thought you were stickler for the nicknames, _ Alien muttered, remembering the countless times she had now referred to her own girlfriend as “Flower Bitch.”

_ Yeah, but Coopy Poo’s special! That’s already a nickname! _ DBP replied.  _ So what is this amazing idea of yours? _

_ SGH likes flowers, right? _ Locksmith asked.

_ Yeah, _ SGH replied in a quiet voice. It was the first time she’d said something to them in the past hour.

_ How about we get her some flowers to take care of? _ Locksmith asked.

There was a beat of silence.

-

**RPS**

Alien: Why are you getting her flowers?! She cries EVERY time she sees peonies now!

Locksmith: But they NEED her to survive, so she has to take care of herself!

Detective Bubble Pipe: You’re a genius!

-

_ You know what? That’s a great idea, Locksmith, _ Flower Bitch thought.

The others were quick to add onto her thoughts, all of them agreeing quickly.

Romy said up a little bit.

_ But… where are we going to put them? _ SGH thought.

_ Where  _ **_aren’t_ ** _ we going to put them is the question! _ DBP replied with a grin on her face, even though she was in the next room over.

_ That’s not an answer,  _ Alien said.

_ It’s  _ **_an_ ** _ answer, just not the one you wanted,  _ Aella replied.

_ But- _

_ No interruptions! Give me fifteen minutes! _ Aella called, dashing out of the team LAAC dorm room and to the team JARR one.

She opened the  _ new _ door, which had just gotten delivered earlier this morning.

Aella skidded into the room, causing both Jin and Saffron to look at her in confusion. Romelle didn’t glance up from her scroll.

_ What’re you doing? _ Alien asked.

_ Innovating! _ DBP replied enthusiastically.

She leapt into the air, grabbing onto the bottom of her hammock. She climbed up the side, not bothering to use her Semblance as she flopped into her hammock, reaching over to grab her tools. Or, well, the tools she didn’t carry with her.

She reached up to the ceiling, pushing a board out of the way so that she could get her supplies.

“What are you doing?” Saffron asked.

“You know, it’s rude to interrupt creative geniuses.”

Jin and Saffron tried to get her attention, but Aella grabbed the wooden planks and spare nails before she threw herself toward the ground.

_ Hey, Flower Bitch, go buy flowers, _ Aella thought.

_ Seeds? _

_ Definitely not, _ Locksmith replied.  _ Has to be real ones. _

Adolpha, in another room, nodded before she realized how stupid that was. Lavey snorted.

Meanwhile, Aella threw the window open, leaping outside.

She hovered in the air, putting all of the planks of wood in the window sill before a moment as she started to get ready.

_ Wait, make sure that Flower Bitch gets soil, Alien, _ DBP thought.

_ She knows to get soil, _ Alien replied… though she pulled out her scroll to send a quick message to her girlfriend.

Aella was distracted by building a new project.

She was humming to herself as she went, nailing the boards together as she got the window sill flower holder (she didn’t know exactly what to call it) together. She didn’t notice as Romy looked over the edge of her bed, glancing at Aella as she worked.

_ Hey, DBP, what are you doing? _ she thought.

_ Giving you a surprise, Sad Girl Hours! _ DBP replied, giving her a quick grin

_ Oh. _

_ Why, did you want something? _ DBP questioned, quickly putting her hammer down as she looked up at the other girl. She put her arms on the window sill, letting the wind die down around her as she held herself up.

Romy didn’t reply, but Aella could see her curl up in a ball on her bed.

_ Aww, did you want some Aella cuddles? I know I give the best ones. Come on. _

Romy hesitated.

_ Just hurry up, SGH, _ Alien thought, rolling her eyes.  _ This is weird to listen to. _

Romy slid off of the bed, causing both Jin and Saffron to look up. They hadn’t been able to talk to Romy much in the past few days, so they were always watching her whenever she walked by.

Romy hurried over to the window sill, and Aella pushed off of the building with her feet. She was sent falling toward the ground head first. Her eyes fell shut and she held her arms out to either side as she did an impromptu freefall.

Just a moment before she could hit the ground, her gliders appeared, and she used just a bit of wind to stop herself from hitting the pavement. After that, she rose up in a delicate arch toward the window, sitting cross legged in front of the window with her arms held out.

Romy hesitated, not noticing that Jin and Saffron were watching, frowning just a bit. Both of them tried to say something, but Romy leapt out of the window, landing right on Aella, who caught her with a grin.

“Alright! Let’s get those window flowers ready for you, shall we?” Aella asked, ruffling Romy’s hair.

Romy huffed and fixed her hair, rolling her eyes, but there was a small smile on her face as Aella floated back over to the window sill, getting back to her work.

-

The work was long and arduous, but by the end of the day, Aella had finished setting up a window sill garden in the dorm rooms of teams LAAC, JARR, and IMCA.

Adolpha had made  _ three _ trips to the flower store, considering the first two times she had accidentally bought flowers with meaning that she did  **not** want Romy to see.

She had politely returned them, bought soil, and returned.

After all of that, Romy had started to plant the flowers with the members of the RPS. She was between Aella and Romelle.

Jin and Saffron glanced over when they started working in the team JARR dorm room.

“You like flowers?” Saffron asked, frowning.

Romelle sent a scathing glare her way.

“Yup! You know Romy, she  _ loves _ pretty things,” Aella said, giving Romy a fond look and bumping against her shoulder to distract her.

“I really do,” Romy said, looking back at Aella. She didn’t have the heart to look at Jin and Saffron.

Jin and Saffron hesitated.

“Want some help?” Jin called.

Romy flinched, and Aella shook her head.

“You know what? I think we’re good without you guys!” she said, giving her sister a grin before she waved, revealing that her hand was completely covered in soil from all of the work they had been doing.

“Definitely,” Romelle added, her eyes narrowing.


	106. Tea

Romy curled up closer to herself on the bed, sniffling.

She knew that look.

She’d seen it so many times ever since…

Ever since that dance. Ever since she’d seen it the first time, or _ really _ seen it, that is.

She supposed that meant that she  _ really _ understood what her sister had been talking about when she mentioned Adolpha not liking her.

She sniffled and shook her head.

Romy wondered if this was some sort of sick karma for the years she had ignored Adolpha.

But Adolpha had forgiven her, hadn’t she?

Romy thought that she had. That had been part of the reason she had fallen so much for Adolpha, but those feelings… they had been nothing in comparison to what she felt for Jin and Saffron now.

_ / _

_ Jin was seated beside Saffron, the two of them at the mattress bed as they quietly talked. Jin had her chin resting on her hand as she stared at Saffron like she had put the stars in the sky. Stared at her like she was the most precious person on this planet, someone she wasn’t even worthy to talk to. _

_ Romy recognized the look immediately as the one that Adolpha would give Romelle whenever they were in the same room together. _

_ Romy hesitated, her eyes going wide. _

_ She knew that they loved each other, but… seeing that look just sent her back into her thoughts, remembering all of the times she had stared at Adolpha when she watched Romelle like she was the most perfect creature to ever grace the planet. _

_ Romy wondered if this was it. Was this her life? Destined to keep falling for people that were sickeningly far out of her league and then cry when they ended up with someone else? _

_ Romy thought that, at least, it wouldn’t happen again. The cycle ended here, because there was no way she was moving on from these two. _

_ Aella glanced over, frowning when she saw that her friend had sunk back into her thoughts. _

Guys, _ she thought, _ we need a distraction.

What do you have in mind? _ Alien replied. _

No need!  _ Electric Piano thought. _ I have a plan!

What?  _ Bandwagon and GPS thought at the same time, their voices sounding worried. _

FIRE!

WHAT?! NO!  _ everyone thought. _

Too late! I already started one!

WHAT?!

Yup!

_ All of them glanced at their scrolls, pretending they had a message. _

_ “GUYS!” Lavey screamed, bursting in. “THERE’S A FIRE!” _

_ “What?!” Jin cried. _

_ “YEAH! ELE-ILESHA JUST MESSAGED ME!” Lavey said. “Come on! Hurry up!” _

_ Everyone ran out, with the exception of Romy. _

_ Aella tried to stay, but Jin grabbed her by the scruff of her cloak, dragging her out and screaming something about Aella’s Semblance being important. _

_ Romy was left alone in the dorm while everyone else ran out. _

_ / _

Romy curled up closer to herself in the bed.

Suddenly, Akio appeared in the room.

“Romy! What are you doing in here?! Jin sent me to get you and-”

Romy started to cry at the mention of Jin, and Akio hesitated.

“W-well… there’s a fire out there, and I-”

“It’s a distraction,” Romy muttered, shaking her head and curling up closer to herself even as he frowned.

“What?”

“For me. They distracted them for me, you don’t have to worry. Just… just tell Jin that I’m fine… or even tell her that I’m dead. She probably wouldn’t care anyways.”

“What?!” Akio cried, hurrying over to where Romy was sulking. “What are you talking about? She got so worried when she saw that you weren’t there, wondering if you were okay. She really cares for you, Ro-”

Romy sniffled.

“Please… please just stop, Kio. I know you’re trying to help, but… please just stop.”

“Wh-” Akio’s eyes widened. “Oh shit… you like her, don’t you?”

Romy sniffled, but she nodded.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Akio said gently, hopping up onto the bed and pulling himself up. “I’m sure it must hurt that she’s with Saffron, and-”

Romy kept crying.

“It does. It  _ really _ does.”

“And it’s just like with Adolpha and Romelle… I’m so sorry, Romy-”

“It’s worse,” Romy said, her voice cracking a little. She shook her head. “Sorry, I know you don’t really want to hear about this.”

“What?! Of course I want to hear about this! Even if you weren’t my friend, you know I’m a gossip! So spill, girl!”

Romy gave him an odd look, and he frowned.

“What?”

“Sorry, it’s just… man, you’re  _ so _ different from when you were growing up. Talking about gossip… I  _ distinctly _ remember you complaining about how annoying gossip was for  **years** .”

“You’re one to talk, didn’t you ignore Adolpha from ages three to sixteen inclusive?” Akio asked, raising an eyebrow.

Romy laughed through tears, wiping at her face.

“So come on, tell me what’s going on.”

“Well… it’s not… just Jin.”

Akio gasped, bringing one hand up to his mouth.

“Oh nooo, it’s Saffron too, isn’t it?!”

She nodded, sighing and burying her face in her hands.

“Can’t blame you. Her sister though?” he whistled. “Much better.”

“Didn’t know you were into Kesey.”

Akio glared at her, shoving her with his shoulder playfully.

“Oh, what’s  _ not _ to like?” he asked sarcastically. “She’s got that… spider crawling thing down.”

Romy stared at him for a moment before the two burst out laughing.

“But seriously, the muscles, the confidence? Yeah, can’t blame you. Jin on the other hand… yeah, that’s weird.”

“Hey! She’s…,” Romy found herself staring up at the ceiling as she thought about the other girl, and her face flushed red. “Oh Dust, I’m a mess.”

“Yeah, but almost everyone in this group is,” Akio said. “Now come on, I want the juicy details.”

Outside the window, Aella flew past screaming as Jin threw something at her. Neither noticed.

“It’s just… after everything that I went through with Adolpha and Romelle, they were so comforting, and-”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Akio cried. “Slow down, I still don’t know that full story, so start there.”

Romy glanced over at him, and she smiled just a bit.

“So I’m just minding my own business, and Romelle punches me!”

Akio raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t believe a word of that. Or, well, I don’t believe the first half of that. The second half? Oh yeah, that gremlin’s terrifying. Packs a punch too.”

Romy nodded, running a hand down her jaw for a moment and sighing.

“Yeah, it was… I really deserved that one.”

“Wasn’t that when you called my sister a bitch?” Akio asked, raising an eyebrow.

Romy flinched, glancing over at him with a sheepish expression.

“Maybe? Please don’t be mad.”

“Mad? Pfft, I’ve called them worse stuff than that. Can’t blame you, Adolpha’s a handful.”

Romy snickered, her sadness forgotten for a moment as she started to recount the entire story from beginning to start to her friend, ending on what had just happened.

“So Ilesha just-”

“Electric Piano,” Romy corrected instantly. She had gotten into the habit of calling everyone by their nicknames, if only because the reminder of what they were doing for her was comforting.

“Right, Electric Piano just… set some shit on fire?” Akio asked, shaking his head.

Romy let out a groan, nodding at the words.

“Of course she did. Geez, none of you have  _ any _ brain cells, do you?” Akio asked.

“Nope. Or, well, that’s… debatable? I mean, Aella has been a big help, but…”

“But she’s Aella,” Akio finished for her, shaking his head. “Yeah, you don’t have to tell me.”

Romy let out a quiet chuckle, though she had slipped back into her somber thoughts.

“You know, I could be a big help to this whole operation you guys have going on.”

Romy glanced over at him, eyes widening.

“I mean, if you need some help, it’s always good to have an instant escape from somewhere,” Akio said, shrugging. “But if you don’t want me to, I completely-”

Romy reached out and put a hand on his arm, smiling just a bit at him. He was instantly connected to the telepathy.

_ WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?! _ DBP cried.

_ Because you had a stupid plan! _ Alien snapped.

_ It wasn’t even my idea?! _ Detective defended.

_ But you let it happen, _ Flower Bitch replied.

_ I’m literally not a team leader, she didn’t ask me, and I tried to stop this! How is this my fault?! _ DBP snapped.

_ For what it’s worth, I don’t think it was your fault, Ellie, _ Locksmith said.

_ Aww, thanks, Coopy Poo. _

_ Everyone shut up, _ SGH thought.  _ We have a new member of the RPS. _

_ We what?  _ Bandwagon asked, and it was clear from her voice that she was frowning in confusion.

_ Who wants to join this group of idiots? I mean, other than helping SGH, of course…, _ GPS thought.

_ I would like to, and I think that you need me more than ever, _ Akio thought.

_ Oooh! New nickname! How did he join?! _ DBP asked.

_ Just teleported in and told me to spill the tea, _ Romy thought.

_ That’s not exactly how it we- _

DBP gasped in their heads.

_ TEALEPORTER! _

_ Please no, _ Akio thought.

_ TEALEPORTER! _ everyone thought together.

_ Please no, _ Tealeporter thought.

_ Get it?! _ DBP asked.  _ Cause he TELEPORTED and asked for the TEA?! TEAleporter! _

_ Yes, I get it, and I hate it, _ Tealeporter replied.

_ Oh, gotta stop laughing, Tall Dumbass is glaring at me, _ DBP thought.

_ I told you to stop calling her that, _ SGH thought, but there was no fight to her tone, almost as if she was resigned to this as well.

_ And yet I won’t, cause only a dumbass would miss out on you! _ Detective thought.

Romy sighed and leaned back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

The door started to open, and Akio’s hand shot out, grabbing her by the wrist before he teleported.

Rosemary looked up from her book, raising an eyebrow as he appeared in team IMCA’s dorm room. She glanced at Romy for a moment before she turned back to reading, clearly not caring about whatever was going on.

Akio gave her a fond smile before he hurried over to the door, watching through the edge as people raced by.

Romy just stood there, letting out a sigh as Aella’s words echoed through her head.

She couldn’t find it in herself to agree.


	107. Warm

Romy let her eyes flutter open as she felt sunlight seep into the room. She was surprisingly warm this morning, and when she looked around, she realized why. Jin and Saffron were asleep on either side of her. Jin was laying on her side, her arm reaching around Romy and holding Saffron gently on the arm. Saffron had curled up into a ball like she usually did when she slept, though she was wrapped around Romy this time, her arm wrapped around her. When she looked down, Romy saw that Saffron had taken off her gloves, which made the lazy smile on her face grow.

She pulled closer to them, pressed between the pair. She couldn’t help herself. She couldn’t remember how she had gotten here, couldn’t remember the night before, but she found that she didn’t care. As long as she was here, curled up in their arms, she couldn’t be happier.

Just like always, the two were like furnaces, keeping the bed warm in the coldest of nights. Romy had almost forgotten what it felt like to sleep between them, but it was every bit as nice as she remembered.

She let out a sigh of content, putting her head on Jin’s shoulder as she let herself sink further into their grasps.

She blinked lazily, letting her eyes fall shut for just a moment before they opened.

When they did, she found herself in a cold bed in the middle of the night. She was clutching her pillow tightly, but it wasn’t bringing her anywhere near the amount of warmth that Jin and Saffron had been.

She was alone in her bed in the dark of night, and the chill of the ceiling fan made her shiver.

She looked across the room, her eyes moving of their own accord, and she saw the reason the fan was on.

Saffron and Jin were curled up together in bed. Jin had her arm wrapped around Saffron, who had curled up against her in a little ball, head on her shoulder. Her gloves were off, and Romy could now remember that Jin had taken them off for her before they had gone to sleep.

She stared at them for a long moment, pulling closer to the pillow at her side, but it still didn’t give her any of the comfort that they always did.

She… she bet that they were warm, even as she shivered.

Unwanted, Saffron’s voice echoed in her ears.

_ “You hold your pillow when you sleep, might as well hold someone else instead, it’s warmer, ya know?” _

At least someone was warm.

Romy blinked back tears for a moment before she slowly pushed herself out of the covers, looking around.

She finally let her gaze land on Aella, who was still asleep in her hammock. She was sprawled out on the hammock, one leg sticking off the edge and hanging precariously. Her head was cushioned with one arm behind it, but the other was set on her stomach. For a moment, Romy wondered if Aella’s head was going to fall off the edge of the hammock, but, thankfully, she seemed oddly balanced.

Romy thought for just a moment.

Would… would Aella be mad at her if she came over? Would she kick her out? Or, worse, would she tell her that it was fine, but really think of Romy as a burden?

She thought for a moment before she shook her head.

Aella had told her that she was there for her. Even after everything that had happened, Romy had to believe what her friends said, right? She couldn’t just isolate herself more.

Romy took a deep breath before she scurried over to the edge of her bed.

She took a deep breath before she threw herself over to the hammock.

She almost fell, but she was able to grab onto the edge of the hammock.

Aella jumped in shock, her eyes blinking open. She started to let out a yell, but she froze as soon as she saw Romy through the darkness. Romy was still crying, and Aella scrambled over to help her up.

In her haste, Aella almost fell out of her own hammock and dislodged Romy in the process.

Romy started to hurtle to the floor, but Aella’s hand shot out, grabbing her by the wrist.

“Don’t worry, SGH!” she hissed. “I got you!”

Aella tugged her onto the hammock, and Romy immediately curled up beside Aella, who made a small sound of shock.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright. What happened?” Aella asked gently, running a hand down her back.

Romy shook her head, and Aella sighed.

“Alright, I’m sorry, just… I guess my already scrambled brain got a little fried when I woke up. Shouldn’t have asked. Come on.”

Aella threw the cloak around the two of them, and Romy curled up close to her chest, grabbing her shirt as she started to cry again.

Sure, it was warm here, and Aella was whispering soothing words to her as she started to fall asleep, but…

It wasn’t the same.

-

Jin blinked her eyes as the sun entered the room. Her first sight was Saffron, who was curled up against her side and still sleeping. Her tail was slung over the two of them, and Jin couldn’t help but find it adorable.

Jin started to sit up, and Saffron let out a little mumble of dissatisfaction, pulling closer to her.

Jin smiled fondly at her, rolling her eyes.

“Saffy, come on, it’s time to get up,” she whispered.

“No. Time is an illusion and a social construct. Free yourself from the chains and sleep.”

Jin stared at her for a moment before she shook her head, laughing quietly.

“Too bad for you, but you’re dating one of those people that enforces the social construct of time, so you have to get up.”

Saffron groaned, rolling out of the bed, quite literally.

Just a moment before she could hit the ground, she caught herself with her semblance. She finally let herself get to her feet, and she stalked over to the changing room.

Jin yawned and stretched, watching her girlfriend go with a fond smile. She finally looked away, heading over to her teammates.

She woke up Romelle first, though she had learned her lesson and just kicked the bed. If she shook her, or even said something near her face, it was likely that Romelle would instinctively punch her.

After that, Jin poked her head over the top bunk, a smile growing on her face as she thought abou-

Where was Romy?

Her eyes widened in shock, a bit of fear filling her.

Romy was gone.

Where could she have gone?

She hurried over to the hammock, jumping a few inches before she latched onto it. She pulled herself into the air, looking down at her sister, who was curled up in a little ball, as if she was holding something, which was odd, considering she was typically sprawled out when she slept.

“Aella, wake up,” Jin said, shaking her sister. “Romy’s gone.”

Aella yawned, blinking tiredly at her.

“Gone?” Aella hesitated, reaching one hand up. “She’s not gone.”

“What? Aella, she’s not in her bed.”

“Yeah, but she’s not  _ gone, _ Ta-Jin,” Aella said.

“Where is she?!” Jin hissed.

Aella lifted her cloak, revealing that Romy was curled up against her still, fast asleep. She moved a bit as the light hit her eyes, and Aella instantly covered her more thoroughly.

“Right here. Isn’t she so cute when she sleeps? Like a little baby gremlin,” Aella said, grinning.

Jin hesitated.

“She was… sleeping here?” Jin asked.

“Yup! You know her, loves to cuddle. Said something about being warm. Guess she just missed being held.”

“Oh. Right, that… makes sense.”

“Now, if you don’t mind, my little gremlin and I are going to get a few more minutes of shuteye,” Aella said, giving her sister a grin.

Jin was too shocked to say no.


	108. Secrets

Auburn looked across the cafeteria for a moment before he grinned.

Clover put his hand on Auburn’s shoulder before he leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the top of his head.

“See you later,” he said.

“I’ll count the seconds!” Auburn replied, giving him a fond smile.

Today was supposed to be a divided lunch, which meant that teams sat together.

Saffron, Rosemary, and Clover were sitting together, though one member of their official team was notably missing…

Or, rather, unnotably.

Auburn didn’t really care, and he took a seat next to his sisters.

None of them were talking at the moment, though he guessed that wasn’t really a surprise.

“Guys, did you hear?” he asked excitedly.

They jumped.

“Hear what?” Adolpha asked.

“About the couple that’s about to become a triad!” Auburn said, bouncing up and down in his seat a little bit at the words.

“Wait, what?” Lavey asked, putting down her fork as she stared at him.

“Who?” Crystal demanded. She was staring at him as if she was suspicious.

Auburn laughed at the notion.

“Saffron and Jin, silly!” he hissed, scooting his chair closer to hers. “Have you not heard the rumors?”

“Them?! With who?!” Adolpha asked, eyes going wide.

“Romy! Haven’t you seen the way they interact?! Just look at how Romy looks at them!” Auburn hissed, pointing at Romy.

They all froze.

“Aub,” Crystal said, sounding almost disappointed.

“What?”

“That is…  _ not _ happening,” Lavey said, putting a hand on his shoulder consolingly.

“What?! It’s not?!” he cried.

“Definitely not,” Adolpha agreed, though she looked sad to say it.

“Why not?” Auburn asked, frowning in confusion.

“They’re… not interested,” Crystal said delicately.

“Are you sure? Have you seen how Romy looks at them?” Auburn asked, tilting his head to the side slightly in confusion.

“Yup. Definitely seen it. That’s not the problem,” Lavey said, shaking her head.

“Uh… then what’s the problem?” Auburn asked.

Crystal leaned closer.

“Listen to me very carefully.  _ They _ are not interested.”

Auburn hesitated before his eyes widened in understanding.

“Oh… OH! OH NO!” he shouted.

Everyone in the cafeteria paused to glance at him, but he didn’t seem to care nor notice.

“Shhh,” Lavey hissed.

Auburn suddenly heard other voices in his head.

_ What happened?! Why is he screaming?! _ Alien demanded.

_ Because he… well, the exact way he got to screaming isn’t important, he just knows now, _ Bandwagon replied.

_ What’s going on?! _ Auburn cried.

_ You’re in the RPS, blah, blah, blah, you get a nickname, you keep Romy from getting depressed, _ GPS thought.

_ I still don’t know what’s going on. _

_ We’ll fill you in in a sec, _ Bandwagon said.

She immediately started to tell him what was going on outloud, but she didn’t want Romy to have to hear a summary of her situation  _ yet again _ after everything that had happened.

When they were done, Lavey told him  _ one _ very important thing.

“Don’t tell anyone, Aub. Seriously, this is important, and you can’t let anyone know about what we’re doing.”

“Of course I won’t!”

_ Wait, SGH looks spaced out. Is she listening to music? _ Electric Piano asked.

_ Of course no-SON OF A BITCH! WHERE DOES SHE KEEP GETTING THESE?!  _ Alien cried.

She reached over to grab the headphones by the wires and yank them out, but she froze.

_ Did… did she get wireless headphones? _ DBP cried.

_ When did that happen?! _ Flower Bitch demanded, standing up a bit at their table and trying to get a better view of SGH.

_ Who knows, _ GPS thought with a sigh.

-

Auburn was walking down the halls. Lunch had just ended, and he was trying to help the RPS anyway he could, but all of the nicknames were a little confusing.

He thought he remembered them all, but he still hadn’t gotten one, which he heard was odd, considering everyone else had gotten one immediately, but he guessed that didn’t really matter. They just hadn’t come up with one for him yet, but they’d get around to it eventually.

As he was walking up to class, he heard someone jogging to catch up to him.

He glanced over his shoulder, and he was grinning the moment he saw Clover.

Clover reached out and put an arm around his shoulders, grinning.

“Hey, Aubby! What’s up?”

Auburn hesitated.

“Oh, I can’t lie to you!”

Clover hesitated.

“Uh… what?”

“I have something to tell you.”

-

_ IMMEDIATELY!  _ Bandwagon screamed.

_ I don’t say this often, but Bandwagon is right! _ GPS snapped.

_ YOU WEREN’T OUT OF THE CAFETERIA FOR FIVE MINUTES BEFORE YOU SPILLED! _ Bandwagon continued.

_ You weren’t there! He was looking at me with these little soulful eyes! _ Auburn cried.

_ I didn’t mean to! _ Clover defended.

_ Well at least we have a nickname for you! _ Detective said excitedly.

_ What? _ Bandwagon asked.

_ Snitch! _ she cried.  _ And that makes Clover Stitch! _

_ What? Why? _ Electric Piano asked.

_ BECAUSE, _ DBP said enthusiastically,  _ SNITCHES GOT STITCHES! _

There was a beat of silence before everyone was laughing.

_ Find. You WON’T get kicked out… if only so we can keep saying Snitch and Stitch, _ Bandwagon thought.


	109. The Race

**RPS**

Alien: Lock the door, Locksmith.

Locksmith: What? Why?

Alien: Just lock the JARR dorm room.

Locksmith: Okay.

-

Romy looked up as the door locked.

_ What’s going on? _ SGH asked, watching as her sister tried to open the door, but it didn’t budge.

_ It’s locked, _ Alien replied, leaning down a bit to look at it.  _ Hey, SGH, let me use your credit card. _

_ Fine, _ SGH thought, tossing her card over to her sister.

_ Great! Flower Bitch! _

Adolpha, who had been hanging out in the room to spend time with Romelle and to check on Romy, looked up.

_ Yeah? _

_ Kick down the door. _

_ Okay. _

Adolpha walked over to where her girlfriend was standing and took a bracing stance before she kicked the door, sending it falling off of its hinges and slamming against the ground.

_ Thanks, SGH! _ Alien thought before she sprinted out of the room.

_ Wh-MY CARD! _ SGH cried.

_ MY card now, SGH, _ Alien thought.

Romy threw herself off of her bed and took off at a sprint, chasing after her sister.

Romelle smirked to herself when she heard the footsteps behind her. It was good to see that Romy was at least a  _ little _ bit back to her old gremlin ways and chasing her down the hall, almost like the good old days.

_ Give them back! _ SGH cried.

_ Then come and get them! _

Romelle sprinted around a turn, heading toward the exit of the school.

Romy was hot on her heels, and the two raced outside.

Romy found herself grinning to herself as she sprinted through the courtyard. She was smiling to herself as she felt the wind in her hair. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had the chance to do this with her sister.

First, the school year had started, and everything had been great. Romelle and Romy had been close, nobody had really come between them, and Romy hadn’t messed anything up yet. She almost found herself wishing for those happier days, but she knew that she couldn’t do that to Romelle… and then after that, there had been a rift between them after Romelle was forced to watch Romy be a  _ bitch. _ Yes, she could admit it now, she… had not been the nicest person to Adolpha.

And then she had somehow betrayed the sister bond and started to like  _ Adolpha _ of all people just as Romelle started to date her, which meant that the two of them were, once again, at odds with one another… then Saffron and Jin had dominated most of Romy’s time… and now…

But it was freeing to just have the chance to run through the halls and laugh because her sister had done something stupid, to feel like things were finally back to normal.

Sure, things might change, but Romelle would always be right… there… by her…

Romy found herself distracted as she glanced to the side, her eyes going wide when she saw…

Jin and Saffron were both lounging on a picnic blanket, Saffron’s head in Jin’s lap as she played with her hair. She had taken it out of the braid that she put it in every morning, and the two were having some sort of conversation that Romy couldn't hear, considering she was on the outside of it… just like always. Saffron had taken off her sunglasses… or maybe Jin had stolen them, considering they were perched on top of her head as she laughed at something Saffron said. Saffron had even decided to take off her gloves, and her hands seemed to be mostly stable as she gestured and talked.

While Romy was distracted, staring at the two of them, she ran full force into a pillar nearby.

Romy teetered and fell backward.

“Was… did… did Romy just run into that column?” Jin asked.

Saffron sat up in her lap.

“What?!” she hissed, eyes narrowing as she focused on Romy. “I… I think that she did!”

The two paused for a moment before they both threw themselves to their feet and raced across the courtyard to where Romy was laying, staring up at the sky as if she was wondering where she had gone wrong in life.

“Romy!” Saffron and Jin cried. “Are you alright?!”

Romy blinked and saw the two blurry figures come into focus. Her face immediately flushed red.

“I-I’m… I’m alright…”

Romelle was laughing now, and she let out a sigh of relief. She had been starting to worry that her sister wouldn’t be able to relax and have fun like the old days, but it turned out that she-

_ HELP! _ SGH called.  _ HELP! _

-was not fine. Not in the slightest. This was a mistake.

Romelle spun on her heel and sprinted back, eyes widening when she saw that her sister was on the ground, both of the dumbasses standing over her.

Romelle tried to think of an explanation for what she was about to do, or even something  _ to do, _ but she can’t, and she decided that that didn’t matter.

All that mattered was getting her out of there.

Romelle raced by, crouching down a bit as she neared her sister.

Saffron reached down to help Romy up, but Romelle grabbed her sister by the ankle and tugged, racing back into the school.

“Wh-wait!” Jin called, her and Saffron taking off after the twins.

“SORRY! CAN’T HEAR YOU!” Romelle shouted back.

Romy was staring up at her with a mixture of shock and relief, and Romelle sighed.

_ Sorry, should have been more careful, _ Alien thought.

_ What’s going on?! _ GPS asked.

_ Keep the dorm room open, DBP, and be ready to slam it shut! _

_ You expect for me to have  _ **_already fixed the door you had Flower Bitch kick down?!_ ** _ How do you expec- _

_ You already did it, didn’t you? _ Bandwagon asked.

_ Yeah, but I didn’t wanna- _

_ Just shut up and say you’ll do it! _ GPS growled.

_ I’ll do it. _

Romelle tugged her sister forward, letting go of her ankle for a second before she reached out and grabbed her wrist as she tumbled through the air.

She was able to catch her sister before she could fall, stabilizing her as they ran.

Romy stumbled, but she was able to keep running.

As they reached the JARR dorm room, Romelle shoved her sister at Aella, who caught her with ease.

Aella waved her hand, and the door slammed shut just as Jin and Saffron rounded the corner.

Romelle took a few deep breaths and gestured toward the window for Aella.

She heard footsteps, and there was a loud knock on the door.

Romelle opened it just a bit, raising an eyebrow as she struggled to control her breathing.

“Oh? It’s a surprise to see you two, thought you were out on a date. What seems to be the issue?”

Jin watched her with narrowed eyes, and Romelle glanced to the side for just a second.

She saw the image of Aella throwing her sister out of the window like she was a rucksack.

“Where’s Romy?” Jin demanded.

Saffron tried to look over Romelle’s head, but Romelle closed the door a little bit.

“You know what?”

Romelle purposefully looked over her shoulder this time, just in time for her to see that Aella took a few steps. After that, she took off at a sprint, leaping out of the window with perfect form, as if she was expecting to do a swan dive.

“She  _ just _ left with Aella.”

“How is that possible?” Saffron growled.

“With Aella?” Jin asked, frowning.

“Did I stutter?” Romelle questioned, putting a hand on her hip.

“Come on, if we hurry, we can-”

Jin caught Saffron’s arm as she started to walk off.

“You know what? No, we can wait here. Every time we chase her, something goes wrong. So why don’t we wait here?”

_ SOS SEND HELP! _ Alien thought.  _ DO NOT LET THEM IN THIS ROOM! THEY’RE LEARNING! _

Lavey spun and stared at Crystal.

“Chase me!” Lavey hissed.

“What?”

“Chase me!”

Lavey took off, exiting their dorm room and sprinting down the hall. Crystal was hot on her heels.

_ What are we doing?! _ GPS cried.

_ FIXING THINGS! _ Bandwagon replied.

With that, Lavey threw herself forward, tackling Jin to the ground with her strength reserves.

Jin grunted as she hit the ground, and Crystal screamed a battle cry in her head before she tackled Saffron.

Romelle watched with disinterest before she closed the door.

_ Who just screamed?! _ Electric Piano cried.

_ Tea, I need Locksmith, _ Alien thought, barricading the door with her body in case the two dumbasses decided to come again.

Akio teleported in with Cooper, and he quietly asked the doors to be very nice and not open for Jin or Saffron.

Meanwhile, outside the door, Saffron groaned, holding her head.

_ Good going, Bandwagon! You hurt Saffron! _ GPS hissed.

_ You’re the one that tackled her! _ Bandwagon snapped.

_ Because you said t- _

_ Saffron’s hurt?! _

Romy’s voice broke the conversation, and everyone fell deathly silent.

_ Is she okay?! DBP, take me back there, I need to make sure she’s alright. _

There was a solemn silence for a moment as everyone realized one thing.

Romy… wasn’t any better than the first day they had helped her.

She was exactly as heartbroken, and as much, if not more so, in love with the two.

And there… was nothing they could do about it.

_ She’s fine, SGH. Just being dramatic. You know her, _ GPS thought.

_ Are you sure? _

_ Yeah… yeah, I’m sure. _


	110. Cut a Bitch

_ Cut a bitch,  _ Alien thought.

It was at that moment that Adolpha realized something.

Context was important.

/

_ I don’t get it! How does she keep getting them?!  _ Alien screamed.

_ I don’t know! _ DBP replied.

Romy was currently crying. She had been listening to Second Chances, and she had, once again, started crying at the sound of Saffron’s voice. Singing so softly, so lovingly…

At least, Romy had thought it was lovingly, but she supposed that had been wrong. She had been about a lot of things, it seemed, and she wasn’t sure how to respond to most of them, so she had resorted to crying.

_ That’s it! _ Alien snapped.  _ We’re fixing this! _

_ How? _ GPS asked.

_ Cut a bitch, _ Alien thought.

Or, perhaps, on second thought, context wasn’t always important, Adolpha thought.

_ You want to  _ **_cut her_ ** _?!  _ Bandwagon cried.

_ Yeah, her hair, _ Alien said.

There was a collective sigh of relief from the RPS.

_ Stitch! We need you! _ Alien called. She was already trying to corral her sister into a corner, and Aella was blocking all of the exits with her semblance.

_ Why are we cutting her hair?! _ Electric Piano thought worriedly.

_ Can’t hide headphones behind your hair if you don’t have hair, _ Alien thought.

The door opened, and Clover raced in.

_ What do you need?! _

_ Hold her down! _ Alien snapped, gesturing at her sister.

Romelle had been able to tackle her sister to the ground, and she was currently sitting on top of her stomach, holding her down.

Clover raced over and took Romelle’s place, gently holding the small girl down. She really didn’t have a chance against Clover. It wasn’t a fair fight! A four foot nine inches gremlin with little to no muscles against a seven foot monster of a man who looked like he had breakfasts with more meat than she had on her whole body.

_ Detective! We need hair clippers! _

_ Wh-you think I just have those?!  _ she cried indignantly.

_ You have everything else! _ Bandwagon cried.

_ Yeah, well not that! Who has hair clippers?!  _ DBP asked.

_ Didn’t you have wooden planks above your hammock?! _ GPS snapped

_ Yeah, cause those are useful! You can make stuff with them, but hair clippers? Those are just for hair! And that’s not useful! Can’t fix anything with those! _

_ We can  _ **_literally_ ** _ fix this situation with hair clippers! _ Alien screamed.

_ Well I didn’t know that before! _ DBP defended.

_ Great! Where else are we going to find someone with hair clippers?! _ Alien snapped.

_ Just drag her to the barbershop, _ Electric Piano thought.

There was a beat of silence.

_ What? She’s light enough. Put her in a bag and you can just sling her over Clover’s shoulders! _

_ YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE I’M NOT HERE! _ SGH screamed.

_ Yeah, because your vote doesn’t count, _ Alien said dismissively.

_ I DON’T WANT A HAIRCUT! _ SGH bellowed.

_ Tough, _ Alien sent, shrugging.

_ Uh… I might know someone who has hair clippers, _ Tealeporter thought.

_ Who?! _

-

“I’m sorry, you need me to  _ what _ ?” Rosemary asked. Her tail flickered behind her, and she raised an eyebrow.

“I need you to cut Romy’s hair for us.”

“Does she  _ want _ her hair to be cut?” Rosemary continued, crossing her arms against her chest.

Akio hesitated.

“Well… you see, what someone might  _ want _ and what they might  _ need _ are two very different things, and when you think about the greater good in the universe, does one haircut really tip the scales-”

“So that’s a no?”

“A resounding one, in fact.”

Rosemary considered.

“It’ll cost you.”

“How much?” Akio asked, nervous.

“Five seasons.”

“What?”

“Five. Seasons.”

Akio paled.

“Of what.”

“That’s the price. Five seasons, my pick of the show.”

“You  **always** pick cartoons!” Akio all but whined.

“Yeah! Good ones!”

Akio stopped himself from saying something he’d regret.

“Fine!”

Rosemary grinned, her tail wagging behind her in excitement.

“Really?!”

“Yes! What are we watching?!”

“Teen Titans! Or, well, the original one! You know, the good one before they fucked it up with the ‘reboot.’”

Akio groaned.

“Fine. Fine! Just get the hair clippers and hurry up, Rose!”

Rosemary  _ beamed _ in excitement, taking off at a sprint and coming back with a kit filled with hair cutting materials.

“You… you have more than just hair clippers?” Akio asked.

“Obviously. You have to be ready to fix any hair emergency.”

-

“Alright,” Rosemary tilted her sunglasses down a bit, raising an eyebrow, “where is she?”

Akio pointed to the side, and Rosemary followed with her gaze.

She stopped.

“Why is she duct taped to a chair?”

Romy was, in fact, duct taped to a chair a few feet away. Her feet were both taped to different legs of the chair, and a piece of rope ran around her waist to fasten her to the center of it, to prevent further wiggling. Her hands had been fastened behind the chair to each other, and her arms were taped to the chair as well. It was clear that she hadn’t given up the struggle until it had been physically impossible for her to continue.

Even a piece of duct tape was covering her mouth, and Rosemary wondered if it was to stop yelling or biting.

Maybe both.

_ Uhhhh, we got a problem, _ Electric Piano thought.

_ What now?! _ Alien snapped.

_ The dumbasses want in the dorm. I can’t hold them back for much longer, I’m pulling the dumb blonde routine. _

-

“Wait, thumbs are FINGERS?!” Ilesha cried, staring at her hands.

Jin nodded slowly, and Saffron face palmed.

-

_ What do they want?! _ Alien snapped.

_ What do you think? _ Bandwagon growled.  _ The same thing they always want. To talk with SGH. _

Romelle took a deep breath, letting it out harshly.

“Fine. Fine! They want to talk to Romy? They can talk to Romy!” Romelle snapped.

Rosemary frowned in confusion as Romelle marched past her.

She leaned over to Akio.

“I thought that was Romy,” she whispered, pointing at the twin that was still taped to the chair, staring at the hair clippers in Rosemary’s hands as if they were going to be the death of her.

“It is, it’s a long story, and I can’t tell you anything else,” Akio said, shepherding his girlfriend over by putting his hands on her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Romelle stepped outside, taking a deep breath as she tried to get into character.

What did Romy think about?

Girls?

Two girls specifically?

Sad music?

Saffron’s muscles?

Jin’s muscles?

Dust, she didn’t know, and she hadn’t listened close enough to find out why Romy was interested in those two of all people.

Something about childhood trauma from Saffron? Eh, Romelle wasn’t too good at dealing with that, whether her own or someone else’s.

Inside, Rosemary walked up to Romy, who was still trying her best to escape.

Aella had made sure that the chair didn’t topple over, through the use of a nail gun and sheer willpower, and Rosemary raised an eyebrow as she looked down.

“Uh… is that a garbage bag?” she asked.

“No time for clean up, we’re trashing all of it. The chair too,” Akio said. “We have to get the haircut, new clothes, and any crying out of the way before the dinner.”

“Crying?” Rosemary asked.

“Not important. Just do the haircut and you can have the five seasons,” Akio said.

Rosemary grinned and her tail wagged again as she dashed over, getting her tools ready to cut Romy’s hair.

Romy started to squirm, and Rosemary leaned down, making eye contact.

“I have no idea what’s going on, and frankly I don’t really care right now. I want those five seasons, and I’m getting them, whether that means you have a shit haircut and cuts all over your face tonight. Your choice.”

Romy’s face paled, and she instantly stilled in the chair.

“Great!” Rosemary said, starting the haircut.

-

“Hey, guys,” Romelle said, trying to sound meek. She stared at the floor.

“Romy,” Saffron said, her voice surprisingly soft. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, just been… busy.”

“I’ve noticed,” Jin said, letting out a quiet laugh. “What’s… what’s been going on?”

“A lot, really. I mean, Romelle and I are planning a hunt soon, and-”

“WHAT?!”

Romelle held back a smirk.

She had thought they’d realize it was the wrong twin if she looked at them, but now that they were distracted…

Romelle looked up.

“Yeah, we’re planning a hunt. You know, a sister bonding thing after… everything. We’ve just been trying to get back on the same page again.”

“That’s good,” Saffron said softly, though there was an anxious expression on her face, as if she was worried she would mess something up.

“And… it’s good to see you,” Jin said.

Romelle stared at Jin, barely stopping herself from frowning in confusion.

There was something familiar about the way she was looking at her, or, well, she thought she was staring at Romy, but…

The point remained the same.

“When’s the hunt?” Saffron asked.

“Three days.”

They both stared at her with wide eyes.

They seemed like they had so many things they wanted to say, but finally, Jin settled on, “Be careful, Romy.”

She looked like she was about to go in for a hug, but Romelle  _ knew _ she wouldn’t do that right, so she withdrew.

“Yeah, I’ll try. I’m… I gotta go, alright?”

“Oh… okay. Do y-”

Romelle slipped into the room and let out a groan as soon as she was inside.

_ Damn, SGH, being you is  _ **_hard work_ ** _! How do you not punch people?! _

Romy didn’t respond, considering Rosemary had just finished the haircut.

Her hair was shorter now, at about a little above chin length, and it curled just a little on the ends, and she was staring at herself in the mirror.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, I did great, even with your wiggling,” Rosemary said, twirling the scissors in her fingers before sliding them back into the kit. She turned to Akio, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket. “You still owe me those five seasons.”

She smirked before giving him a quick kiss and walking out of the room like nothing had happened.

Akio watched her go with a fond look before he turned to the rest of them.

_ Alright, get her out of here now, DBP, _ Alien thought.

_ Can do! _

Aella raced over and tackled Romy in a hug before taking off out of the window.

Meanwhile, the rest of them pushed the trash bag up and covered the chair.

_ Incinerate it, Tea, _ Bandwagon thought dramatically.

_ Wh-no! I’m throwing it out, like a sane person! _

_ Lame, _ GPS thought.

Romelle took a deep breath and leaned back onto her bed.

Today had been a long day, and they hadn’t even gone to the dinner yet.


	111. The Dinner

Jin and Saffron glanced at each other, knowing that someone was missing from the dinner.

Today was a special night, though not because of the date. Tonight was a family dinner, and they hadn’t had one of those since Christmas break.

Attendance was pretty much mandatory unless you died, and so far there had been few exceptions.

Almost everyone was here, except for the person that Saffron and Jin had been waiting for.

Ever since she had told them about the hunt that was coming up (and in three days nonetheless!), the two had been trying to get the chance to talk to her for the past few hours, but they hadn’t been able to track Romy down. It was almost as if people were trying to keep them away from her.

Everyone was here, except-

The doors opened, and two forms stepped inside.

Aella grinned as she dragged Romy inside by the hand, though Romy didn’t look as excited. She was watching Aella as the other girl hurried inside.

“Sorry we took so long!” Aella called. “This one,” she smirked, “ _always_ takes so long to get ready.”

Romy flushed a light shade of red at the attention, and she ducked her head.

It was at that moment that Jin and Saffron realized something.

Did she cut her hair?

-

 _Why are you two really late?_ Alien thought, glancing at her sister.

 _Oh, you know, distractions, less time around them, the usual,_ DBP replied. She seemed like she was going to continue, but she was quickly distracted.

Abdera had walked up to her, and she had on a wide grin.

“Hey, Aella. Was starting to think you weren’t coming,” she said.

Aella immediately turned her attention to Abdera, a giant smile on her face.

“Well, Romy and I aren’t dead yet, so looks like we had to! Besides, wouldn’t want to miss a chance to see you!” Aella replied, leaning against Romy’s side as she looked up at the other girl.

Abdera chuckled and went to lean against the table beside her, but her hand slipped as she started to tumble to the ground.

Aella immediately darted forward, leaving Romy behind to catch her.

“You alright?” Aella asked, helping her get steady.

Abdera laughed nervously.

“Hehe, yeah, you know me… ever the klutz,” Abdera replied.

Aella giggled and glanced around her before she leaned closer.

“Hey, wanna know a secret?” Aella asked.

Abdera raised an eyebrow and leaned down for Aella to whisper in her ear.

“I’m super clumsy too! You just can’t tell, see?”

Aella started to trip, but a quick gust of wind caught her and made it look like she was just taking another step.

Abdera hesitated for a moment before she started to laugh, grinning down at Aella.

Romy raised an eyebrow as she watched the two.

Abdera was giggling at something else.

“I’m serious! I just _flopped_ onto the ground like a… uh… stingrays do that, right? They just flop onto the ocean floor like,” Aella slapped one hand onto her other one, “ **_thump_ **, right?”

“I… I guess they might,” Abdera said as she laughed, still smiling at Aella.

Aella giggled and shrugged in her cloak, leaning back against the table successfully.

“What, you aren’t caught up on marine wildlife that goes **_thump_ ** against the seafloor? Honestly, Abdera, do you even study?”

“Not _that,_ Ally,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“But that’s the most important stuff I learned in your grade!” Aella cried, throwing up her arms.

“Oh yeah? Was that a class?”

Aella gained a serious look.

“Of course.”

“What was it called?”

“Fish Flop 101.”

“I don’t remember hearing about that,” Abdera said playfully.

“I’m sure! It’s a very prestigious elective, for the best of the best,” Aella said.

“I’m sure that’s why you were in it,” Abdera said.

Aella giggled and rolled her eyes.

“Sure,” she said.

 _What are you doing, Detective?!_ Alien snapped.

 _Talking to Abdera,_ DBP replied.

 _Focus!_ Alien hissed.

_On?_

_The mission!_

_Oh, right! That thing!_

-

“Did you see Romy’s haircut?” Jin whispered.

Saffron nodded.

“When did that happen?”

“I… guess today,” Saffron said, though she sounded a tad bit distracted, “sometime after we talked to her about the hunt.”

Jin frowned and watched Romy as she was pulled across the room by Aella, who was grinning excitedly as she talked to a myriad of different people.

“I think her hair was better before,” Jin finally said.

“I don’t.”

Jin glanced at Saffron, who was currently leaning forward in her seat, her chin on her palm.

Jin couldn’t tell where Saffron’s gaze was focused, considering she had her sunglasses on, but Jin wasn’t sure she liked the most likely spot.

“You don’t?” Jin questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“No, I think this one’s better. It’s… cuter, you know?”

Jin hesitated for a moment, looking over at where Romy was. She was standing across the dinner room from them, holding hands with Aella, who was currently chatting with Zohra.

“I… guess I can see where you’re coming from,” Jin said slowly. “But I preferred the long hair.”

“That’s because you like playing with hair,” Saffron said, glancing at her and raising an eybrow.

Jin supposed that was true, and she looked over at Romy. They needed to get her alone, away from Aella, so that they could talk.

-

Aella was laughing a bit awkward at Raelynn, who was watching her with a smirk.

Romy was staring at Raelynn with wide eyes.

Raelynn was currently leaning forward, pushing a bit against Aella and causing her to lean back against the table next to her.

Raelynn reached one hand up, starting to play with the hem of Aella’s cloak, a small smirk on her face as she ran her hand down it, though she was looking at Aella.

“What’s this thing made out of again?” Raelynn asked, leaning a bit closer. “Always wondered how it didn’t get ripped after all the crazy stuff you do.”

“It’s made of dyneema!” Aella said, suddenly sounding excited as she talked about it. “It has fifteen times the tensile strength of steel! Try ripping this!”

Aella waved her cloak around her for just a moment, and Raelynn tugged on the cloak a bit, causing Aella to let out a small sound of shock as she was pulled forward.

Raelynn steadied her with a hand on her hip.

“Would you look at that? I _don’t_ think I could rip it.”

Aella laughed awkwardly as Raelynn continued to mess with the cloak idly in her hands, though she still wasn’t looking at it, which Aella thought was odd, considering they had just been talking about it, but she guessed that it was always polite to look someone in the eyes when you talked with them, but she was starting to think this was too much eye contact, especially considering Raelynn’s eyes were-

Aella was distracted as Saffron and Jin suddenly ran by, grabbing Romy and continuing on their way like nothing had happened.

“Wh-”

Aella couldn’t find any words as she stared at the two of them, eyes wide.

Raelynn’s eyes narrowed and she tugged a bit more on Aella’s cloak, causing her to glance down at her.

“S-sorry, Raelynn, I really gotta go,” Aella said, gently detaching her hand from her cloak, though she had a firmer grip on it than she would have assumed, and gave her a small, apologetic smile. “I’ll-”

“You can call me Rae, you know,” Raelynn said, raising an eyebrow as she watched Aella start to pull away further.

Aella hesitated.

“A-alright, Rae! I’ll catch you later!”

Aella then took off through the room, chasing after where she had seen Jin and Saffron go… except… she wasn’t sure where that was.

 _Guys, I think we have a problem,_ DBP thought.

 _What?!_ Bandwagon snapped.

 _I_ **_may_ ** _have lost SGH,_ she replied.

 _What?! HOW?!_ GPS cried.

_Uh… the dumbasses stole her._

_THEY WHAT?!_ Alien screamed.

 _But don’t worry, I can get her back! As… soon as I find them!_ DBP said quickly.

 _How did you lose her in the first place?!_ Snitch cried.

 _I got distracted,_ Detective thought, wincing.

 _What distracted you?_ Locksmith asked, confused.

_Rae. She was talking and then she was talking about my cloak and messing with it and you know how much I like to talk about my cloak and she just looked so interested in what I was saying and then they ran by and stole her and then she wouldn’t let go and now we’re here._

_Raelynn distracted you?!_ Bandwagon cried.

 _Did you just call her Rae?_ GPS asked.

_Yeah, yeah, can you guys help me track down SGH?_

-

Romelle skidded to a stop next to her parents, letting out a breath of relief.

Neo and Ciel were instantly distracted from their conversation, Ciel grabbing her wife’s hands to stop her from saying something stupid.

“Have either of you two seen Romy?” she asked quickly.

“Oh, so she’s the one that got the haircut!” Ciel said with an excited smile. She glanced at Neo, who smirked as if to say “I told you so.”

Ciel rolled her eyes sufferingly before she turned back to Romelle.

“Yes, she went that way. Can we talk about this hunt you-”

Romelle took off at a sprint, ignoring what Ciel was going to say. Ciel watched her go, frowning.

Romelle had always been a little bit too much like Neo, but this was surprising.

Ciel let go of Neo’s hands, and the two glanced at each other.

 _‘Told you that it was Romy,’_ Neo signed.

 _‘Yeah, yeah,’_ Ciel replied, rolling her eyes. _‘It’s still odd to see them with different haircuts. Haven’t seen that since…’_

 _‘Since they were five and declared they would never have different haircuts so they could get away with robbing a bank by saying that one of them was seen on tape somewhere else at the time of the crime. Yes, yes, I remember, I was_ **_very_ ** _proud.’_

Ciel winced.

How could she forget? That was the moment she had realized just so stupid it had been to have children with _Neopolitan_ of all people. And yet, she’d done it, and she would do it all over again.

Guess that made her just as stupid, huh?

-

Jin smiled as she set Romy down.

Romy was still in a state of shock, considering the two of them had just stolen her from the RPS, and she flushed when they both started to stare down at her.

“Hey, Romy,” Jin said, sounding almost a bit shy.

“Hey,” Saffron added, and she was giving Romy that sweet look she used to give her all of the time. It made Romy’s heart ache.

Romy waved a bit awkwardly.

“We were wond-”

“I like the haircut,” Saffron said, ignoring that Jin had started to talk.

Jin glanced at her, frowning a bit, and Saffron had on a small smile as she looked down at Romy.

“It’s cute.”

Romy blushed deeper, and she tried not to look at Saffron, but it was difficult.

“T-thanks…”

 _HELP!_ Romy thought, but it started to grow distant as she looked up at Jin, who reached down to put her hand on Romy’s shoulder gently.

“We wanted to ask you how long you were going to be gone on your mission. Maybe we could… do something together when you get back?” Jin asked.

“Yeah, we’ve missed our little gremlin,” Saffron said, giving her a smirk.

Romy hesitated.

On one hand, it was nice to know that they had missed her, but on the other… that was all she was to them, wasn’t it? A little gremlin that they hung around sometimes, always at their beckon call.

“It’s five days,” Romy muttered, kicking at the ground with her shoe. “Maybe… maybe we can do something. If… if I’m not busy, okay?”

“Yeah! Of course!” Jin said quickly, though she gave Romy a squeeze on the shoulder.

Romy let her eyes fall shut for a moment, letting out an internal sigh. Why was she pretending? If they wanted to spend time with her, if they even missed her just a little, she was going to be at their side in seconds, she would put herself through all of this again.

And why? Why in the world would she put herself through that again?

Because… no matter how much she hated to admit it, she was still head over heels for them, and she didn’t think there was anything she would be able to do about it.

-

Aella dashed through the hall, knowing that Romy needed her.

_On my w-AHH!_

Aella skidded to a stop when a hand grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

“Where are you going so fast?” Kesey asked, smirking at her.

She was obviously using her semblance to hold Aella’s arm in her grasp, and from the way Aella couldn’t pull Kesey across the room, it was safe to say that she was using it to keep her feet planted to the ground too.

“To find Romy!” Aella said quickly.

Kesey’s eyes narrowed for a moment, and she raised an eyebrow.

“You are? But you’ve spent _all night_ with her, why don’t you and I have a little catch up.”

Aella glanced around.

“Kesey, I don’t know if I ca-”

Kesey pulled her a little closer, pouting a bit.

“Come on, Ally, I’ve missed you. I just want to say hi.”

Aella felt her resistance melt.

“Well… I guess I have time for that…,” Aella said, which caused Kesey to beam at her.

“Great!” Kesey said, pulling Aella closer as she started to talk about something that had happened since the last time they’d seen each other.

 _DBP! What are you doing?!_ Flower Bitch cried, glancing over at her sister.

_Being held prisoner._

_Stop being dramatic,_ Lavey thought.

 _I’m not! It’s Kesey! She can,_ **_quite literally_ ** _, hold me prisoner!_ Detective cried.

But Aella was barely listening to what everyone else was saying in her head.

Aella looked down at Kesey, her eyes widening.

“Aw, that made you think of me?” Aella asked, putting one hand on her chest, touched.

Kesey reached out and put her hand on Aella’s other arm, giving her a smirk.

“Of course I did. It was the wind, and you’re always on my mind anyways, so it made sense.”

Aella laughed awkwardly.

“Oh. Uh, well, I guess you’re kind of on my mind sometimes too.”

Kesey leaned forward.

“Oh?”

“I-”

Someone cleared their throat, and Aella jumped.

Kesey rolled her eyes at the interruption, and they both turned to look at Zohra, who was watching with a raised eyebrow.

Zohra squinted for a moment, and Aella wondered if she had something in her eyes. Before Aella could offer to help, Zohra came over.

“What’s going on over here?”

“W-”

“Just having a nice chat,” Kesey said, cutting Aella off.

Aella laughed awkwardly, going to run a hand through her hair, but she found that Kesey had, at some point, gotten ahold of both her arms.

“I’m sure that’s why you’re using your semblance,” Zohra replied, raising an eyebrow.

Kesey just smirked at her, pulling closer to Aella.

“What makes you think I’d have to use my semblance?”

“Uh… what?” Aella asked. She heard screaming in her head, and she jumped. “Uh, actually, I _really_ do need to go do something, but maybe we can talk later?”

Kesey considered for a moment as Aella started to pull back before she let go.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Kesey replied, smirking.

“Same here,” Zohra said, glancing at Kesey, who still had a smug look on her face.

Aella turned and ran backwards to wave at them.

“Okay! Bye!”

Aella tipped over backwards unceremoniously, letting the wind pick her up and carry her over the crowd of people as she looked for her target.

-

 _On our way!_ Snitch called.

At the words, Auburn appeared from the crowd, dashing over.

“Ji-”

He let out a cry of shock as he pitched forward, falling and hitting the ground with full force.

Romy winced as she saw it.

Jin and Saffron, who had both turned at the loud interruption, watched him as he got up.

_Welp, that didn’t wo-_

SGH cut herself off after a moment.

Stitch appeared in front of her.

 _Hold onto my back!_ Stitch thought.

_What?!_

_Just do it!_ Stitch hissed.

Romy jumped and held onto his back, clutching his shirt to keep her hands from being seen.

The seven foot giant completely hid her from view.

When Saffron and Jin turned around, they groaned.

“Fuck!” Jin hissed.

“Did either of you see which way Romy went?” Saffron asked.

“I think I saw her go that way,” Clover said, pointing to his right.

“Thanks!” Jin called, grabbing her girlfriend by the hand before she took off in the direction he pointed.

Clover slowly smirked, giving his boyfriend an excited thumbs up.

Auburn scrambled to his feet.

“We did it!” he hissed.

“Yes!” Clover called.

Romy scrambled down his back.

 _I can’t believe that worked,_ Alien thought.

_Neither can we!_

-

Jin and Saffron looked around as everyone started to get ready for dinner, taking their seats.

Their eyes locked on Romy, and they hurried forward, trying to get seats beside her, but they were stopped when Romelle and Aella sat on either side of her.

Jin and Saffron let out sighs as they took seats beside Romelle, Akio and Rosemary sitting beside them.

Jin glanced to the side as Aella leaned closer to Romy, a grin on her face.

“Oh, I _love_ the new haircut, Romy,” Aella said, leaning against her side as she started to play with her hair, twirling it around her finger.

Jin frowned, her eyes narrowing as she watched them, and she glanced at Saffron.

“Thanks, Aella,” Romy said, pointedly not looking at Jin and Saffron. She didn’t want to get distracted, and she supposed that Aella was trying to distract her. It wasn’t working well, but at least she was trying, right? Better than nothing.

“So, how have things been, Romy?” Jin asked, causing Aella to glance over and raise an eyebrow.

“T-they-”

“They’ve been _great,_ haven’t they, Rom-Rom?” Aella asked, grinning at her.

Romy hesitated, and Aella giggled.

“Aw, you’re so cute when you’re flustered,” Aella said, leaning closer.

Romelle frowned at Aella, confusion in her eyes.

Aella waved her off subtly.

Jin and Saffron glanced over as Aella curled up closer to Romy for a moment, a grin on her face as she continued to mess with her hair.

“So… what have you been up to?” Jin continued, still not looking at Aella.

Aella started to giggle and ran her hand down Romy’s back until stopping at her waist.

“Oh, we’ve just been doing… stuff,” Aella said.

 _Okay seriously what are you doing?!_ Alien hissed.

 _Things that are far above your comprehension,_ DBP replied.

Romelle’s eye twitched, but she stayed silent. That didn’t stop her from digging her nails into the table in front of her.

“What does that mean?” Jin asked.

 _Okay, we might need a little extraction in a minute, people!_ DBP said, though she sounded cheery, as if she was excited by something.

 _What? We just started dinner,_ FB said.

 _You can eat later,_ Bandwagon replied, rolling her eyes where she sat. _Come on, we need to get her out._

 _Isn’t it suspicious if we all just get up and carry her out?!_ GPS snapped. _We need a plan._

Akio hesitated for a moment, thinking.

Suddenly, Rosemary pushed herself from the seat beside him, as if it was no big deal. NObody batted an eye as she unceremoniously started to walk out, but that wasn’t odd, considering…

Rosemary just did that. Rosemary was known for just randomly getting up and leaving a room with no excuse or context. Akio’s eyes widened before he grinned, pushing himself to his feet.

Akio slid his hand into Rosemary’s and left with her, raising no objections from anyone. If Rosemary would just leave a room, then it made sense that her boyfriend would too, right?

It seemed that it did, and Akio grinned as they started to walk toward the exit.

“You’re coming?” Rosemary asked, glancing at him and raising an eyebrow.

“I need some help,”

Rosemary glanced at him when they left the restaurant.

“What’s in it for me?” she asked.

“The knowledge that you’ve done something for someone who will unconditionally love you for the rest of your life?” Akio asked.

“Pass.”

Akio groaned and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

“Fine. Fine! What do you want?!”

“Depends… how important is this? What exactly does it entail?” Rosemary asked, crossing her arms.

Akio knew better than to lie to her, considering she would figure it out eventually and demand more.

“It’s difficult, it’s super important, and it might technically be illegal.”

Rosemary smirked to herself and then slowly stretched, a grin on her face. Akio instantly regretted it, but he knew that they were the only ones that could get her out of this.

“Alright. We’re watching,” she started to count on her fingers, “all the seasons of Pokémon, She-Ra, Justice League, Gravity Falls, Power Rangers Mighty Morphin, Steven Universe, and the original Speed Racer. And one more time of Avatar, because Kyoshi’s hot, and you can’t change my mind.”

Akio let out a groan.

“She’s passable at best.”

“You take that back or I swear I’m not helping you,” Rosemary said, pointing at him before jabbing him in the chest. “Super hot. Now, what are we doing?”

“We’re going to help Romy because she has a crush on Jin and Saffron and she needs out of there.”

“Got it.”

“You… you don’t have any questions about that?” Akio asked.

“Not in the slightest. Now come on, I want to watch that with you.”

Rosemary grabbed his hand and started to drag him into the restaurant, but Akio planted his feet.

“Hey, we have to be subtle! Can’t let anyone know what we’re doing.”

“Can’t we just knock out anyone that sees us?” Rosemary asked.

“Ah-Wh-Rosemary!” Akio hissed. “We can’t just knock people out!”

“Fine, then what’s your plan?” Rosemary asked, rolling her eyes behind her sunglasses.

“We sneak in in disguises.”

Rosemary grinned, her tail wagging in excitement.

“Like in-”

Akio covered her mouth with his hand.

“Do a callback when we’re watching it, babe, we’re in a hurry.”

Rosemary nodded, and he grabbed her hand.

The two teleported to the back of the restaurant just as the door was swinging shut.

Akio hurried forward to catch it, and the two slipped into the kitchen.

They looked over to the side and saw that there were two uniforms to the side, and the two shared a glance before they hurried over.

“Oh, please no,” Akio muttered, staring down at the uniforms.

Rosemary’s tail had already started to wag.

“It’s like Jessie and James!”

Akio grimaced.

“I’m going to understand that reference later, aren’t I?”

“Oh most definitely.”

Akio let out a groan as he looked down at the uniforms. He glanced around for a moment to make sure that there was nobody around them in the kitchen before he started to slip it on over his clothes.

“Oh, this is going to be _great,_ Kio!” she said, still beaming.

“For you, maybe,” he muttered. “Just make sure to hide that tail of yours. It’s pretty recognizable.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve done spy work before.”

Akio paused.

“Wait, you have?”

“I have two sisters of my own, you know, and they’re pretty stupid, so I have to help _sometimes,_ ” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Now sit still, if we’re going to pull this off, we’re going to need some serious makeup.”

-

Five minutes later, a tall woman with short brown hair stepped out of the kitchen, mumbling under their breath.

“Quit complaining,” said the short man next to him, who had their hair stuffed into their hat, trying to make it look like they had short hair.

“You’re one to talk,” Akio muttered.

 _We’re on our way,_ Tealeporter thought.

 _We?! Who’s ‘we?’_ Alien snapped, glancing up. _Oh no. Don’t tell me that’s you._

_What’s wrong?_

_You’re not fooling_ **_anyone_ ** _, Tea,_ Bandwagon thought, rolling her eyes.

 _Come on, I think it’ll be good enough if you can distract them,_ Porter replied.

 _Is that… is that Rosemary?!_ GPS snapped.

_Yes._

_We’re doomed. Absolutely doomed,_ Bandwagon said, sighing.

 _No, no, we’ve got a plan. Rose came up with it,_ Tea thought comfortingly.

_We really are doomed._

Rosemary fixed her fake mustache as she got near the table, pushing the cart in front of her. She’d seen this in so many shows, and she was really excited to see if it would work.

Akio and Rosemary pulled up.

Rosemary cleared her throat.

“Is there anything else we can get you?” she asked.

Jin and Saffron barely glanced at her, and she smirked.

“Actually, can we get a dessert to go,” Aella fumbled for a moment for a name, and, for some reason, didn’t look at the name tag, “Mr. Waiter? We have… somewhere to be.”

Aella wrapped an arm around Romy’s shoulders, pulling her closer.

“What? Already?” Saffron asked, looking away from Rosemary immediately.

Meanwhile, in everyone’s heads, everyone was screaming one thing

 _WAITER?! THAT’S WHAT YOU CALLED HER, DBP?!_ Bandwagon cried.

 _WAITER! MR. FUCKING WAITER!_ GPS thought, cackling. She was turned away from the exchange to stop herself from laughing.

 _What’s wrong with calling a waiter Mr. Waiter?_ EP asked.

 _I PANICKED, OKAY?! EVERYONE SHUT UP I’M TRYING TO PULL THIS OFF!_ DBP shouted.

Akio took a deep breath to stop himself from laughing, but he couldn’t stop the small smile on his face.

“Of course, what do you-”

Rosemary reached out her leg and kicked her boyfriend in the kneecap.

Akio cried out and toppled forward, hitting the table.

In the distraction, Rosemary snapped her fingers, getting Romy’s attention, and she pointed at the cart she was pushing.

The cart was small, about the size of two gremlins, and was covered with a sheet.

Romy hesitated, but Aella didn’t, considering she grabbed Romy around the waist and glided through the air, landing in the cart.

The sheet fell down behind them, and Rosemary reached down, grabbing Akio by the hand.

“Sorry for my coworker, it’s her first day,” Akio looked at her with betrayal in his eyes, “we’ll be back out shortly with that dessert.

Jin and Saffron turned, about to go back to their interrogation of Romy and Aella… but… but they were gone. What?! When?! What?! HOW?!

“Romelle, did you see where Romy went?” Saffron asked, frowning.

Aella told Romelle exactly what to say as they were carted out of the front doors of the restaurant.

“Oh, yeah. She left with Aella. Something about not being able to wait for dessert.”

“What?” Jin asked.

“Yeah,” Romelle said, shrugging, before she turned back to Adolpha, leaning against her girlfriend’s side.

Outside, Romy connected Rosemary to the telepathy.

 _WAITER HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE CHAT!_ Bandwagon called.

There was loud cheering.

 _What’s happening?_ Mr. Waiter asked.

_It’s the RPS! Welcome, Mr. Waiter._

_You better be thankful for this one. I sacrificed so much,_ Tea thought.

 _He’s being dramatic,_ Mr. Waiter said, rolling her eyes.

 _Did you tell the dumbasses what I told you to, Alien?_ DBP asked.

 _Let me guess,_ Mr. Waiter said, _dumbasses are Jin and Saffron, Alien is Romelle._

 _You’re way too good at that,_ Tea muttered.

 _I did, DBP,_ Alien thought. _I don’t know why, but I did. They’re glaring at me now._

Aella smirked as she pulled Romy closer and glanced back at the restaurant.

All in all, tonight had been a good night.


	112. Distractions

**RPS**

DBP: Is this really a good idea?

Alien: Yeah, come on, it’s the good outdoors, what could go wrong?

DBP: You said that about the time you had her chase you across the courtyard and where did that get us?

Alien: Well, this time we KNOW they aren’t going to be there.

Bandwagon: Yeah, there’s nothing wrong with her getting a little fresh air.

-

Aella sighed as everyone started to agree.

That hadn’t been why she was worried.

-

Everyone was out in the park now, though they had stayed away from the real courtyard.

They had set up a picnic blanket, and the group was seated around, starting to eat. Aella realized that her fears had been made real as she looked around the group.

Adolpha had her arms wrapped all the way around Romelle as she ate, and the twin was situated between her legs as they ate. Romelle had leaned back to put her head on Adolpha’s chest while she looked up at her lovingly. The two of them hadn’t had much time recently that didn’t involve running around and trying to help Romy.

Auburn was seated on the picnic blanket, and Clover was lounging on the ground, his head in Auburn’s lap as the two quietly talked. They hadn’t had much time to just relax either, and they were enjoying their time together without having any distractions.

They were chatting with a few of the others there, but it was clear that it was just small talk to fill the silence that came from all of the couples.

Rosemary was even curled up against Akio’s side, his arm around her shoulders, as she talked about the show she had forced him to watch the night before. Akio was starting to get into it, and he laughed when she brought up Jessie and James last night, causing everyone to start screaming about “MR. WAITER!” at top volume.

Ilesha was giggling as she looked at Lavey and Crystal as they curled up against her, too content to argue as they ate and exchanged small talk with the others. Nothing of importance was happening, but maybe that was what truly felt special about the evening. The fact that they finally got a chance to rest after everything they’d been doing earlier. And before… the gig tonight. That was definitely going to be rough, especially considering Romy actually  _ had _ to go to this one, considering it was being held to celebrate her hunt.

Students at Beacon had a new tradition where they went to gigs for the Adax band before they went on the hunt, and that meant that Romy was, once again, going to have to hear Saffron singing for her, which was probably going to be another trigger, which meant that tonight was going to be rough for them to deal with.

They had brought her out here to distract her from Saffron and Jin, but Aella thought that was stupid, considering they were all being all touchy feely and in love, which meant that they were just reminding Romy of something that she didn’t have.

That was a  _ great _ strategy before tonight.

She rolled her eyes and leaned over to talk to Cooper and Romy.

“Hey, I’m bored, you two want to hit the trampoline park?” she asked, grinning.

Cooper looked enthusiastic at the idea, and he nodded quickly.

Romy shrugged, not seeming to really care either way what they did.

“Great!” Aella cried, jumping to her feet and grabbing them both by the hands before she took off.

-

**RPS**

Alien: Where are you two going?!

DBP: Trampoline park!

-

There was a collective inhale from the Belladonna-Schnees in the group, and they shared a look.

“She was a good friend while it lasted,” Crystal said, shaking her head.

“What?” Romelle asked, looking up with a frown.

“We are gathered here today,” Lavey began, “to mourn the loss of our dear friend Sad Girl Hours.”

“Okay seriously, what’s going on?!” Romelle snapped.

“Nothing’s wrong, Alien,” Adolpha said gently, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “DBP’s just a little… over enthusiastic about trampoline parks.”

“What’s going on, Flower Bitch?” Romelle asked.

“She’s going to be tired and stuff… wait… are… did you just call me Flower Bitch?” Adolpha asked.

Everyone froze to look at them, Rosemary looking confused. She herself had just gotten used to the nicknames, and she clearly didn’t understand why they would be using it on instinct.

“Well… you called me Alien!” Romelle defended, though she was blushing.

The group dissolved into laughter.

-

Aella walked into the trampoline park with a bounce to her step, grinning.

Cooper was at her side, and he seemed just as excited as Aella.

“AELLA!” a worker called, hopping over the counter with expertise and hurrying over to her.

“Hey!” Aella called, giving him a quick hug before he pulled away.

“New prey?” he asked, glancing at Romy.

“More like a sacrifice,” Aella said, waving her hand dismissively.

Cooper giggled and Romy glanced at the pair nervously.

Aella laughed and said hello to a few other workers, all of them excited to see both her and Cooper.

Aella stretched her arms for a moment before she glanced over at Romy, smirking.

Suddenly, her hand shot out and slammed against Romy’s arm.

“Tag! You’re it!”

Aella and Cooper  **_scattered_ ** at the words, taking off toward the trampolines.

Romy stared for a moment, eyes wide.

“You should probably run. You’d be behind if you had a five minute head start,” the man behind the desk said.

Romy nodded before she took off after Aella and Cooper.

When she got to the trampolines, she saw Cooper give Aella a double bounce. She was off after that, her gliders out as she soared through the air with practiced ease. It was clear that she wasn’t using her Semblance, but it was hard to comprehend that she was able to do this without it.

She did a tight spin as someone jumped over her, and she let her gliders snap back out as soon as she was out from under them.

Cooper, on the other hand, couldn’t soar for dozens of feet.

Romy took off after him, but he was gone in a flash.

Romy hadn’t noticed before, but this was not  _ just _ a trampoline park, but also a  _ parkour _ one, which meant that there were dozens upon dozens of bars and fences that were set up around it, as well as different platforms.

Cooper was taking large, bounding strides. He reached a slanted trampoline, and he vaulted off of it like a gymnast, hitting the next one a few feet higher. He repeated this process four times before he reached a platform, doing a tight flip before he landed on his feet with ease.

Since… since when could Clumsy Cooper do  **_that_ ** ?! Since when could he leap into the air like a gymnast?! What planet was she on?!

Romy hesitated, considering Aella…

Aella, on the other hand, was currently doing what Cooper had, even without her gliders, but with twice as many trampolines and dozens upon  _ dozens _ of flips and turns. She landed on the top platform, and Romy realized it was the highest one in the entire complex.

She took a deep breath before she focused on Cooper.

She could reach him, right? If Clumsy Cooper could do it, then…

She did a few bounces on the first trampoline before she nodded to herself and took off at a sprint. It took her a moment to get used to the way you were supposed to run on trampolines, but after that, she was feeling pretty confident.

She could do this!

She hit the first slanted trampoline, and she was immediately off balance. Romy bounced toward the next one, but she flailed in midair and hit it with her side before she rebounded off and hit the ground.

She stared up at Cooper, who had leaned over to look at Romy with concern.

“You alright?!”

She raised her hand up, though it was shaky, and gave him a thumbs up.

“Good, because that’s just the  _ first time _ that’ll happen!” Cooper called.

Romy groaned and pushed herself to her feet.

She’d wipe that smug look off his face.

She took off at a sprint again, hitting the first slant. This time, she hit it correctly, and she was able to rebound onto the second slant. She grinned and even hit the third one right!

She was almost up to Cooper-

Romy looked down, and in the moment that she was distracted, she hit the trampoline on the wall full force, sending her tumbling all the way to the ground. When she struck it, she bounced back up a further three times.

She groaned and rolled onto her back, staring up at Cooper, who was giggling and waving down at her.

“Is Coopy Poo being mean to you?”

Romy jumped, causing her to bounce a little on the trampoline, and looked up, finding that Aella was leaning over her. She must have missed the other girl parkouring her way down there…

“How about you try to catch  _ me _ ? I promise it won’t be  _ that _ hard,” Aella said, though there was a bit of mocking in her voice.

That was enough to goad Romy into scrambling to her feet.

Aella beamed before she took off.

Romy raced after her. Aella, thankfully, didn’t head to the platforms, instead leading her through the regular trampolines.

She kept the two of them at a steady pace for a few minutes before she started to gradually speed up. Romy was able to, mostly, keep up, and when she wasn’t Aella slowed down.

The two then entered the mainly parkour section, and Aella leapt into the air, soaring right in between two bars.

Romy was so determined to follow after that she tried to do the same trick, but she hit her head and groaned when she landed on the ground.

“Ooh, good try though!” Aella said. She went to help Romy to her feet before she remembered they were playing tag, and she stopped herself.

Once Romy was back up, Aella took off again, climbing up a set of strange monkey bars until she had reached a nearby platform.

Romy took a moment to ready herself before she attempted the same trick.

She did it  _ far _ slower than Aella, but she was  **finally** able to reach the platform.

Aella congratulated her for just a moment before she leapt off of her platform, landing on the ground.

Romy’s eye twitched. That’s… where she had  **just** been. Why did they climb up here just to run off?!

Romy didn’t have time to think, and she groaned before she leapt off, doing a clumsy barrel roll like Aella had, before she followed her.

Aella led her through the trampolines again before circling back here, where Cooper was waiting, already at the highest platform and smirking at Romy.

Aella stopped for a moment to talk to him, and Romy tried to sneak up on her, but a moment before she could, Aella raced forward, jumping into the air and pushing off of the wall in front of her with one foot. She was sent flying back over Romy’s head, landing behind her.

Romy spun, and Aella waved, wiggling her fingers.

“Hey!”

With that, she ran off again, coming to a nearby trampoline and bouncing off of it. She then landed on another platform to the side.

Romy took a moment before she did the same. There had been a slant trampoline, but she was able to make the jump, surprisingly.

Aella made a running leap before she hit another slanted platform, bouncing off of it with ease before hitting another.

She then landed on another platform.

Romy took a long moment to get herself ready before she mirrored the action, stumbling when she hit the platform that Aella was landing on. She eventually fell, but she was able to stay on the platform beside Aella.

Aella grinned before she jumped back down to the bottom, where there was a trampoline to catch them.

Aella continued to show her through these basic steps for the next two hours before she grinned at Cooper, who took off at a sprint and catapulted himself to the first platform he had been on earlier.

Romy hesitated, glancing at Aella.

“I don’t know what your problem is, just make the jump, SGH,” Aella said, shrugging.

With that, she copied Cooper, though she added a few flourishes and flips.

Romy took a deep breath before she sprinted forward.

She hit the first slanted trampoline, and she bounced off with surprising ease. She repeated the process three more times before she hit the platform, stumbling a bit, but still there.

Romy triumphantly tagged Cooper, who grinned.

Aella raced to the edge of the platform and put her arms wide, standing with her back to the rest of the complex.

Cooper tried to tag her, but she fell off of the platform just a moment before he could. She did a few flips and twirls before she landed on her feet, taking off immediately.

While Romy got a short rest on the platform she had finally conquered, the two of them chased each other through the complex, switching who was it and who was almost constantly.

Finally, after about ten minutes, Cooper had to leave to set up the gig with Ilesha, but Aella and Romy decided to stay after how excited Romy got at the idea.

As Aella guided her friend through the next trick, she let herself grin.

Romy had been, successfully, distracted for the entire day, and Aella couldn’t help but be a  _ little _ smug about that.


	113. The Gig

Aella pushed open the bar doors, letting out a sigh. Romy was slumped against her side as they walked, having been extremely worn out after the workout at the trampoline gym.

Aella wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they entered the bar, grinning when she saw that the gig was about to start.

She had been successful in distracting her friend for the entire day, and she thought that maybe, just maybe, if they played their cards right, Romy would be alright in the gig too, if she was able to keep her from getting depressed about Jin and Saffron, which might be difficult…

Romy slumped against the bar and Aella took a seat beside her, wrapping her arms around the girl.

“Oh, today was a long day, wasn’t it?” Aella asked.

Romy grinned to herself and leaned closer to Aella, putting her head on her shoulder.

The bartender, Kylee, walked over.

“What can I get for you two?” she asked.

“A water,” they both said at the same time.

The two shared a look and laughed, pulling closer to each other. In the process, Aella had taken Romy out of her seat and put her in her lap.

“Aw, aren’t you two cute? It’s on the house,” Kylee said, getting them two cups.

Jin, who had been trying to wave and get Romy’s attention since she had walked in, hesitated, glancing at Kylee.

She looked back at Romy and Aella, seeing how the smaller girl was curled up in her sister’s lap with a wide grin on her face as the two talked about something she couldn’t quite hear.

“Oh, the trampoline park was so fun!” Romy said. “Thanks for taking me, DBP.”

Jin had leaned a bit closer, just enough to hear the second sentence.

“Of course, SGH,” Aella said, putting her chin on top of her friend’s head with a small smile on her face.

_ Did… did they have their own nicknames? _ Jin thought, frowning.

Kylee put the two glasses in front of them with a smile before she moved down the bar.

She frowned for a moment, staring at Jin.

“Gin?” she asked, remembering the last time she had seen this woman. It wasn’t every day that someone walked in, downed an entire gin, made out with a celebrity, and then left with them in a cab.

Jin jumped.

“Oh, hi,” she said.

The small girl beside her leaned against the bar, rolling her eyes.

“Under no circumstances should you give  _ this woman _ any alcohol,” she said, gesturing at the tall woman beside her.

“Umm…”

“What? She was just saying my name,” the other girl said.

“I really wasn’-”

The smaller girl held up both of her hands, silencing Kylee and the other girl.

“Okay, okay, I can sort this all out,” she glanced at Kylee’s name tag, “Kylee, meet Tall Dumbass. Tall Dumbass, meet Kylee. Lovely name, by the way.”

“I’m… confused,” the tall girl, the dumbass apparently, said.

“Of course you are, Tall Dumbass,” the shorter girl said, sighing.

She turned to Kylee.

“I’m sorry for all of this. My name’s Lavey, and this is  _ Jin. _ ”

“Like… the drink?” Kylee asked.

“But with a J,” Lavey replied, rolling her eyes.

“That sounds like a stupid name to give your child,” Kylee said before she could think.

“Yeah, take it up with our moms,” Lavey said, smirking.

Jin was still a little confused.

“Wait, did I get a gin? Is that why that Sprite tasted so bad?!”

“You’re stupider than you look right now if you thought that was Sprite,” Lavey said, rolling her eyes.

“Wait, your mothers? You two are sisters?” Kylee asked, glancing between them.

Jin was tall, at least six foot, with long blond hair and lilac purple eyes.

Lavey, on the other hand, was short with crimson red hair and silver eyes.

“I know, the intellectual level of people in this family is vastly different from person to person,” Lavey said, waving her hand dismissively. “You wouldn’t even know what to think if you met my younger brother.”

Kylee let out a laugh after a moment, rolling her eyes.

“Alright, I won’t serve your dumbass sister, Lavey,” Kylee said, giving her a wink before she turned to talk to other customers.

Lavey watched her go, raising an eyebrow.

“I didn’t know it was a gin,” Jin muttered, sulking a little. Her gaze shifted down the bar to Aella and Romy, who were still giggling about  _ something _ she didn’t know.

A few minutes later, Aella seemed to notice that Jin was there, giving her a quick wave, before she turned back to Romy, giving her a fond smile.

Kylee came back a few minutes later to check on Jin and Lavey, maybe thinking that the former might accidentally get drunk some other way.

“Friends of yours?” Kylee asked, gesturing at Aella and Romy. “They’re cute together.”

“The one in the cloak’s our sister, actually,” Lavey said.

At the same time, Jin spoke.

“They’re not together.”

“They’re not?” Kylee asked, glancing over at them. “Seem pretty  _ together _ if you ask me.”

Jin glanced back at them for a moment before she sighed.

“Yeah, they do, don’t they?” she muttered.

-

Adolpha grinned as another song started up.

She had suggested this one, and she grabbed Romelle around the waist as the music began.

“This one’s for my flowery friend!” Ilesha giggled. “And her girlfriend, who’s out of this world!”

Saffron frowned, glancing at Ilesha, but Rosemary and Akio were laughing as they started to play.

“You're from a whole other world, a different dimension.”

Romelle’s eyes widened.

“You did  _ not, _ Flower Bitch,” Romelle hissed.

Adolpha leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“I did, my little Alien,” she replied.

“You open my eyes, and I'm ready to go, lead me into the light!”

Adolpha pulled her girlfriend closer and they swayed to the music.

“Kiss me, k-k-kiss me, infect me with your love and fill me with your poison.”

Adolpha started to giggle and Romelle rolled her eyes, unable to stay mad at her when she was being so adorable.

“Take me, t-t-take me, wanna be a victim, ready for abduction.”

Romelle sighed and leaned against Adolpha as she laughed, the two of them continuing to dance.

“Girl, you're an alien, your touch so foreign! It’s supernatural, extraterrestrial.”

“You really are pretty… out of this world,” Adolpha said, snickering.

“I’m not afraid to threaten to dump you and never go through with it, you know,” Romelle said, making Adolpha laugh harder.

“You're so supersonic, wanna feel your powers, stun me with your lasers!”

“Do you have alien lasers?” Adolpha asked.

“Don’t make me use them,” she replied.

“Your kiss is cosmic, every move is magic.”

Romelle grabbed Adolpha behind the neck, pulling her down to give her a kiss as the music continued around them, but neither were listening.

-

Jin glanced at Aella and Romy, the two of them still talking about whatever date they’d gone on today.

She wondered where Aella had taken her… maybe a nice dinner? That seemed like the kind of date that Romy would like, not that she had put much thought into it. Romy just seemed like a romantic at heart, after everything with the flowers and Adolpha.

Jin distantly wondered if the two of them were on the perfect couples chat that she and Saffron had been added to, and promptly removed from, dozens of times.

Romelle didn’t seem to want them to be on it, and, now that Jin thought about it, it would make sense if Romy was on the chat, considering Romelle was trying to keep Saffron and Jin away from her sister, though neither of them knew why.

-

“Excuse me, Mr. Sir, I don't understand a word,” Akio, Saffron, and Ilesha sang together, all swaying to the beat.

Romy looked up for a moment when she heard Saffron’s voice. She had been distracted all day, but now that she was here, her excited mood was dissipating far too quickly.

“Your inquiries are none of my concern. Excuse me, Mr. Sir, I don't understand your word. With all due respect, I'll best be on my way,” they continued.

“I'm a riot walking down the street,” Saffron sang, twisting the microphone with one hand as she smirked at the people watching, tilting down her sunglasses to wink at them.

“'Cause I'm what you need, what you really, really,” Ilesha sang.

“I'm what, I'm what you need, what you really, really,” Akio agreed.

“I'm what, I'm what you need, what you really, really need,” Saffron leaned into the microphone and offered the crowd a smirk.

“'Cause you're always coming back to me,” they all sang.

Romy sniffled.

Yep. She guessed that was accurate.

“Bring it back now!” Akio called.

“'Cause I'm what you need, what you really, really, I'm what, I'm what you need, what you really, really, I'm what, I'm what you need, what you really, really need!”

Romy wiped her eyes. She was what Romy needed.

“'Cause you're always coming back to me!”

“Bring it back now!” Akio called.

Romy pulled closer to Aella, putting her head on her shoulder.

“Can… can we go?” she whispered.

Aella nodded and wrapped her arms around Romy, pulling her into her arms and putting her on her lap.

Jin glanced over at the two, trying to say something, but Romy was already in Aella’s cloak as they left.


	114. The Decision

Romelle looped an arm around her sister’s shoulders as they neared the locker room.

Romy had kept her weapon there as of late, something that Romelle didn’t understand, considering Romy used to have her weapon at her side constantly, and the two of them had to pick it up before the hunt.

Romy slowly opened the locker, and she looked at the card guns with a sad expression.

“Uh, Romelle?” Romy asked in a quiet voice.

Romelle still wasn’t used to hearing her sister sound like that. Her sister used to sound so sure of herself. Perhaps a bit bitchy, but sure of herself.

Romelle had thought that she liked the new Romy after everything that had happened with Adolpha, and the two of them had even been closer! But then…

Everything else had happened, and that had just made it worse.

This wasn’t either of the two versions of Romy she had learned to love, and she found herself missing herself.

“What?” Romelle asked, leaning a bit closer to Romy.

That’s what Aella had said to do, right? Be close to her, be comforting? That wasn't exactly her specialty, especially with her sister.

The two of them had never really done that whole  _ emotion _ stuff with each other, instead preferring to blow stuff up when the option arose.

“Can… can we stop by the house on the way?” Romy asked gently.

“What?”

“I just… I’d rather use my cane sword,” Romy said softly.

“What? Why would you need that? Your new one’s better,” Romelle said, crossing her arms.

Romy sighed and looked down.

“I… I know it is, but… I’d feel more comfortable using the cane sword we have at the house,” Romy said, crossing her arms.

“Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable alive?” Romelle asked, scoffing.

Romy glared at her.

“I won’t  _ die _ because I bring the cane sword, dramatic ass bitch,” Romy said, rolling her eyes.

Romelle huffed.

“Why do you want that old thing anyways?” Romelle asked.

“Because she helped me make it, alright?! And… and she helped me work on it…,” Romy said, crossing her arms to hold herself.

Romelle hesitated.

She’d almost forgotten that.

“Okay,” Romelle put her hand on her sister’s shoulder. “We don’t have to bring it. We’ll just… we’ll just stop by the house.”

Romy looked up at her with a small smile, sniffling.

“Thanks, Romelle,” Romy said, wrapping her arms around her sister and putting her head on her shoulder.

“Uh… yeah, yeah… you’re welcome,” Romelle said, pulling her sister close awkwardly.


	115. The Trap

The two of them were lounging outside, considering Aella was taking a nap, and they didn’t want to accidentally wake her up.

Jin and Saffron glanced down at their scrolls as they both went off simultaneously.

_ You have been added to  _ **_Perfect Couples_ ** _ by Raelynn. _

“How long until you think they kick us off again?” Saffron asked, sounding disinterested. They’d been kicked off by Romelle several times, and they had never been able to see who was actually on the chat.

Jin seemed to be  _ very _ convinced, as of late, that Aella and Romy were on the chat together, and Saffron wasn’t too sure why she would think that.

Aella and Romy weren’t… they weren’t dating, were they?

She didn’t think so. The two of them… they didn’t seem like they were each other’s types.

Saffron had always imagined that Romy would end up with someone… taller? She had never seen her ending up with a  _ gremlin, _ that’s for sure. Maybe someone who was a bit… she didn’t know… of a better fighter? Maybe a Faunus, but… not  _ that _ type of Faunus, that’s for sure.

“Of course we’re not going to get kicked off, Romelle didn’t bring her scroll with her on the hunt, remember?” Jin asked, raising an eyebrow with a smirk.

Saffron hesitated for a moment before she grinned, scrambling to look at the messages.

-

**Perfect Couples**

Braelyn: Welcome to

Raelynn: The perfect couples chat!

Braelyn: For, like, the fiftieth time.

Raelynn: Yeah, it’s a little bit repetitive at this point, but what are you gonna do?

Jin: Good to be here. So, who’s all in the chat?

Clover: Auburn and I!

Auburn: Clover and I!

Clover: Aw, babe-

Auburn: Aww!

Akio: Disgusting.

Rosemary: Truly revolting.

Adolpha: Hey, I think they’re cute.

Saffron: They’re really not.

Auburn: Don’t make us ban you.

Saffron: Akio said the same thing!

Auburn: I have a low tolerance for your shit right now.

-

Saffron glanced up, frowning.

“Wh… what?!” she cried, her voice going up several octaves.

-

Jin: Is that everyone?

Braelyn: Uh, yeah, we’re not adding THOSE three, if that’s what you’re asking.

Raelynn: Too chaotic.

Jin: I was talking about Aella and Romy.

Braelyn: What?

Raelynn: Why? What’s going on?

Braelyn: They’re dating?

Raelynn: Of course not, that’s not Aella’s type.

Braelyn: She is short and mean.

Raelynn: Are they dating?

Jin: You don’t think they’re dating?

Raelynn: If Aella was dating someone, she would probably show it off and never shut up about it.

Braelyn: That sounds a lot like her.

Raelynn: And Romy probably would too after everything that happened to her.

Jin: You know what happened to Romy?!

Braelyn: Wouldn’t you like to know, Armadillo Girl?

Saffron: Wait, they’re really dating?

Braelyn: They can’t be.

Raelynn: Definitely not.

Adolpha: I thought that they were kind of cute together.

Akio: Yeah, didn’t that bartender tell Lavey they were cute together?

Raelynn: Who said what now?

Braelyn: Bartender? Together?

Jin: Yeah, she did. You should add them, they’re probably perfect.

-

Saffron frowned, glancing up from her scroll.

“What? No they wouldn’t,” she said.

Jin jumped, glancing at her girlfriend.

“What?”

“Romy and Aella. They wouldn’t be perfect together.”

“Why not?” Jin asked, sounding a bit… bitter?

“Because… because Romy… she and Aella just wouldn’t work out, alright? I think they wouldn’t last long.”

-

Raelynn: If they are, I give them less than a week.

Jin: You think?

Braelyn: Definitely. That’s not Romy’s type either.

Jin: It’s not?

Braelyn: What? Of course not. I mean, didn’t she like Adolpha? That would mean she likes tall dumbasses, right?

Akio: I don’t know, they were pretty much on top of each other last night.

Raelynn: Aella’s a touchy feely person.

Jin: You think that’s her type?

Rosemary: Wouldn’t Aella technically be a tall dumbass to Romy? She’s, like, seven inches taller than her.

Saffron: That’s not tall.

Akio: Technically you’re not a tall dumbass, so I don’t think you get a vote.

Saffron: Wh-I’m tall!

Rosemary: Not according to my calculations. They say you’re a little bitch.

Saffron: YOU’RE TAKING THEIR SIDE?!

Rosemary: The side of the truth.

Jin: That’s not-what?!

Saffron: Can we get back to the point?

Adolpha: Why is the point always if Aella is dating Romy? If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you liked AELLA, but that’s stupid.

-

Jin glanced up at her girlfriend, raising an eyebrow.

Saffron rolled her eyes, flushing a bit.

“Definitely not,” she muttered.

-

The door to team JARR’s dorm room was slammed open, and Aella cried out in shock. She jumped into the air, but clung to her hammock, even as it tipped over, causing her to hang upside down as her friends dashed inside.

“DETECTIVE!” Bandwagon called.

“What?!” DBP cried, looking around for a moment with her eyes blinking tiredly.

“Guys! Get out!” Locksmith snapped, standing in front of them. “Ellie needs her rest.”

“But this is important!” GPS cried.

“So is  _ sleep _ !” Locksmith hissed.

“What’s going on?” DBP asked, her voice slurring as she wiped the sleep out of her eyes. She let go with her hands and let herself hang, upside down by her feet, from the hammock.

“Saffron and Jin like Romy!” Flower Bitch cried.

Aella yawned, blinking slowly.

“Yeah, I know,” she said, letting her arms fall so that they hung above her head and dangled in the air.

Everyone froze, including Locksmith.

“Wait… you  _ what _ ?!” GPS snapped.

“I knew they liked her,” DBP said, “I mean, I was making them jealous.”

“You were what?” Electric Piano asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion for a moment. “How?”

Bandwagon put a hand on her arm to silence her.

“Yeah. I’m a touchy feely person, but not, like…  _ that _ touchy feely. That was me fake flirting. SGH didn’t seem to notice, but those two dumbasses really did!”

“Damn, didn’t know you could flirt,” GPS said, sounding a bit impressed. Considering she herself couldn’t, it made sense that she would be.

“What? No I can’t. That was  _ fake _ flirting, guys. That’s different,” Aella said dismissively. “Never had someone to flirt with before, so I don’t really have any experience with  _ that _ stuff.”

There was a moment where the members of the RPS glanced at each other, seeming to come to a consensus about something, but Aella didn’t know what.

“So you’ve been flirting with her to make them jealous? For how long?” Flower Bitch asked.

“Not too long. I wasn’t  _ sure _ they were  **really** jealous until last night at the gig,” DBP said. It was odd to see someone shrug upside down.

“Then why didn’t you tell us?!” Bandwagon hissed.

“Wh-I came back here early and fell asleep! I’ve been asleep  **since the gig** !” DBP cried. “I haven’t slept in  _ days _ with that gremlin curled up in my cloak! How long have I been asleep?!”

“Almost eighteen hours,” Locksmith gently.

Aella grinned and let go with her legs, doing a quick flip before landing on her feet.

“Great! That gives me just enough time to get Bandwagon, GPS, and Electric Piano ready!” DBP cried.

“Ready? For what?!” GPS hissed.

“Your date, silly!”


	116. Double Date

“Where are we going?” Jin asked, wondering if she should stop Ilesha as she dragged her out of the dorm room.

“On a date!” Ilesha said happily.

“A  _ double _ date,” Lavey corrected quickly, rolling her eyes.

“We are?” Saffron asked, glancing at Jin. “Why didn’t I know about this?”

“I didn’t know about this either!” Jin hissed, reaching out to grab Saffron’s ungloved hand. Thankfully, the one that Ilesha had grabbed had been gloved.

Saffron didn’t let many people touch her bare hands. Only Jin got to.

Or, well… Jin and Romy, but… Romy hadn’t been around much, so Saffron didn’t know if she should count her anymore.

Not that Saffron wouldn’t let her hold her gloveless hand, it’s just that… Saffron wasn’t too sure that she would want to now, and the idea made her frown.

“Well you never know what’s going to happen until it does! My Aunt Ivy told me that,” Ilesha said, shrugging.

“Can’t… can’t she tell what’s going to happen before it does?” Crystal asked, glancing at her girlfriend.

Ilesha hesitated.

“That… well… that hypocritical b… never mind, let’s just go to dinner,” Ilesha said, shaking her head sufferingly.

-

Ilesha held the door open for both of her gremlins, giving them both of them a grin, before she let it go, hitting Jin in the face.

“Hey!” Jin cried.

Saffron gently put a hand on her girlfriend, checking her over.

“Aw, if only you’d had someone else to catch it for you,” Ilesha said, giving Jin a mysterious smile before she wrapped her arms around both of her girlfriends and pulling them closer. “Aw, I love having two girlfriends, one for each arm.”

Jin and Saffron frowned and shared a glance while Ilesha gave each of her girlfriends a kiss on the head.

The waitress showed them to their table, and Ilesha slid into the middle of the booth with both of them on either side of her.

Ilesha giggled when Crystal curled up against her.

“You know, it’s great having short girlfriends,” Ilesha said.

“And short girls like having a tall girlfriend,” Lavey smirked at Ilesha and glanced over at Jin and Saffron, “or, possibly, girlfriends.”

For a moment, Ilesha hesitated.

Did… did Lavey want to add someone new to their relationship? Ilesha guessed she wouldn’t be opposed in principle, but who could it be? Lavey liked someone else? Who?

Ilesha was about to go spiraling into her thoughts, but she saw Jin move from the corner of her eyes, and she suddenly remembered that they were trying to make them think about Romy.

Oh. Oh, right! That’s right, they were trying to convince them to date Romy and that they liked her so that Romy would have a good surprise when she got back from the hunt!

“Hehe, I bet,” Ilesha said, playing with Lavey’s hair idly with one hand.

A different waiter appeared, looking at the five of them.

“Aw, aren’t you three just adorable?” he asked.

Ilesha grinned.

“Thank you, Mr. Waiter!”

There was a moment of silence before Crystal and Lavey burst out laughing, leaning against their girlfriend further.

“Mr. Waiter!” Crystal wheezed.

Lavey was laughing too hard to say anything, and the waiter smiled at them for a moment before he walked off, giving them a minute to compose themselves.

“What?” Jin asked, frowning.

“Oh, it’s just an inside joke,” Lavey said, waving her hand dismissively as she wiped at her eyes.

“Romy would get it,” Crystal added.

Saffron and Jin hesitated for a moment.

She would get it? Of course Romy would get it.

She was good at things like that. She liked inside jokes, feeling included in things…

Saffron and Jin exchanged a quick glance for a moment before looking away.

It seemed that tonight was going to be a little awkward.

Was it possible to third wheel a double date?

-

“I’m telling you!” Ilesha said between giggles. “Three is a magic number! Everything’s in threes! Triangles, I mean, they’re trying their best guys, tricycles, those things always caught you if you almost fell… then there’s 3D, which is just awesome… then of course  _ triads, _ which are  **always** awesome… and there’s three of us!” Ilesha concluded happily, leaning back and pulling her girlfriends closer. She planted a kiss on top of Crystal’s head.

Saffron and Jin glanced at each other.

-

“I’m telling you, tiny girlfriends are the best!” Ilesha said emphatically. “They’re so cute! You can cradle their little faces, the little sounds of frustration when they can’t reach something, especially when it’s your lips,” Saffron gained a distant look at the words, but nobody could tell with her sunglasses, “and you can pick them up and carry them around!” Saffron and Jin both hesitated at that. They… had to admit that picking up little gremlins was fun, at the very least. “And when you cuddle, you get to wrap your whole body around them, and they’re just snuggled up right beside you!”

The two shifted uncomfortably, almost as if something was off.

-

“You know, something seems off about today,” Crystal said, glancing around.

Lavey smirked before she forced herself to agree.

“Yeah, kind of like something’s missing.”

“Actually, yeah, I noticed that too,” Saffron said, leaning forward. “Maybe it’s because of the clouds… feels like I’m missing the sun.”

“It does, doesn’t it,” Jin asked, glancing out the window to watch the sun set behind the clouds. It cast a crimson red color across the horizon, almost like blood.

“Wonder what it could be,” Crystal said, gritting her teeth.

-

Jin and Saffron glanced at each other as they entered the JARR dorm room.

Aella wasn’t back yet, she was probably hanging out with someone from team LAAC or IMCA like she had been lately.

“You ever felt like a third wheel on a double date before?” Saffron asked.

“No, it’s weird,” Jin said, shaking her head.

“That one with Adolpha and Romelle wasn’t weird. It was actually pretty fun,” Saffron said, shrugging.

“That wasn’t a double date,” Jin said, frowning.

“It wasn’t?”

“No, Romy was there, remember?” Jin asked.

“Yeah, I remember,” Saffron said. “Haven’t really seen her since.”

“So it’s not a double date if someone there doesn’t have a date,” Jin said.

Saffron hesitated.

“Oh, right. Didn’t… didn’t think about that, I guess.”

Jin stared at her for a moment before she shrugged.

“I guess that something was just off,” Jin said.

The two got ready for bed for a few minutes before climbing into Jin’s.

They tried to fall asleep for a bit, but they both kept shifting, as if they couldn’t get comfortable.

Finally, Saffron groaned and rolled out of the bed, walking over to the safety corner and grabbing the biggest stuffed animal she could find.

She wedged it between the two of them with a huff before she flopped back onto the bed, curling up against Jin and wrapping an arm around the pillow to set on her waist.

Jin was about to ask Saffron why she did that, but it seemed that her girlfriend was already falling asleep.

Before Saffron was completely lost to the land of dreams, she said one last thing.

“‘T’s cold,” she muttered, curling up closer to Jin.

“Yeah… it is.”


	117. The Night

Jin hadn’t been able to sleep very well so far that night, and she kept shifting. She couldn’t help it, but she was trying to keep herself relatively still for Saffron, who was sleeping a bit fitfully, but sleeping nonetheless.

Jin let her eyes fall shut again, and she tried to think about what was wrong.

Obviously something was wrong.

Something was  _ missing, _ but she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what that something was.

She shouldn’t feel like something was missing, but ever since that gig, she couldn’t shake it, and it had only gotten worse and worse. She had thought that it would resolve itself, but she supposed that she would have to do it…

So what was missing? Nothing, right? After all, she was curled up in bed all comfortable, Saffron with her head on her shoulder…

Jin moved her hand a bit, setting it on the stuffed animal that lay between herself and her girlfriend.

Wait… why would that be there?

Why did it feel normal to  _ have _ something in between them to hold?

That was… that wasn’t a normal couple thing, was it?

But that wasn’t the only problem. After all, the stuffed animal itself was wrong. Like something was supposed to be there.

But there hadn’t been anything there since the gig, since Romy had been-

Jin sat up in bed, her eyes wide.

“Romy!” she cried.

Saffron stirred a bit, not bothering to open her eyes as she shifted.

“Mhm… I like Romy…,” she said tiredly.

Jin hesitated for a moment, a smile growing across her lips.

“Yeah… I like Romy too.”

There was a moment of silence, and Saffron opened her eyes fully.

They both sat up quickly, their eyes going wide.

“We like Romy!” they cried.

Jin and Saffron were grinning in excitement as they looked at each other.

“We like Romy!” Jin hissed, letting out a little laugh of enthusiasm.

Everything finally made sense! That was what was missing! It wasn’t a thing, it was a  _ person _ that was missing from their  _ relationship _ !

Saffron seemed equally ecstatic, but she slowly calmed.

“Wait… isn’t… isn’t she dating Aella?” Saffron asked.

Jin froze.

“N-no. Of course she’s not.”

Saffron looked over at her, looking a little hopeful.

“She isn’t? I thought you sa-”

“Of course she’s not dating Aella,” Jin hissed. “I mean… she’s… she’s a little gremlin, Saff. Romy wouldn’t… Romy wouldn’t want to date her.”

“Jin, I don’t know. You saw them.”

“But… why would she want to date  _ her, _ Saff?” Jin asked.

Aella shifted in her hammock above them, but neither noticed that she was awake.

“She’s… she’s a nice person, Jin. I mean, I wouldn’t blame her-”

Jin groaned and shook her head.

“It’s… she can’t be dating her, right?” Jin asked.

Aella swung down from her hammock, holding onto it with one hand as she grinned.

“Right you are! We are, in fact,  _ not _ dating in the slightest, which is great for you!” Aella said.

Saffron and Jin cursed, shocked by the gremlin’s words.

“You’re not?!” Saffron asked, grinning.

“How long have you been awake?” Jin asked, eyes wide.

“Oh, since you two screamed at the top of your lungs ‘we like Romy!’ which is just… such a dumbass way to realize you have a crush on someone, I must say, but I suppose the nickname thing holds up! Now, you two can start making ideas on how to ask her out when she gets back, quietly, and I can completely throw all of your ideas out the window in the morning!” Aella said cheerfully, dropping to the ground.

“Wait, what?” Saffron asked, frowning. “We’re not… even sure if she lik-”

Aella waved her hand dismissively.

“Oh, that’s even stupider than the first part! She’s liked you since you helped her with that dumb card gun thing, Saff. And she’s like Jin for almost as long. Now, you two work, I actually need some sleep, because for the past few weeks I’ve been awake comforting your crying crush that got her second heart break this year after that gig you kissed at. So you two get back to me in the morning!”

Jin and Saffron froze.

Wait… that had been why they were keeping her away from them?

They… they’d hurt her? Like Adolpha had hurt her? They… they were the new problem.

They were the new reason that Romy was crying in the middle of the night.

Jin and Saffron were lost in their thoughts, but Jin was able to stop herself just as Aella was leaving.

“Wait, Aella, did you-”

“Hear you say that there was no way that Romy would like me because I’m a little annoying gremlin?” Aella gave her a wide grin, but it seemed almost a bit forced. “Yup! It’s… it’s alright, Jin! See you in the morning, and we can sort out everything between you and Romy!”

Aella closed the door behind her, and the two were left in silence.

Saffron glanced at Jin.

“Well, you messed up.”

“Yup,” Jin muttered.

“You’re going to  _ have _ to fix that.”

“Yup.”

“Good luck with that.”

“Wh-you were there too!” Jin hissed.

“Defending her! You’re the one that messed up. Now come on, how do we ask out Romy?” Saffron asked, shifting so that she could focus her attention on Jin.

Jin distracted herself with that question, and they talked late into the night.


	118. Late Night Talks

“We could spell it out in Dust.”

“No, Saffron.”

“We could give her a stuffed animal. She seemed to like that red panda one a lot.”

“No, not that either,” Jin said.

“Why not?” Saffron asked, frowning.

“Because after you gave it to her, you said that she needed a red panda of her own.  _ Because she didn’t have you, _ Saffron! Do you realize how much that must have hurt?!”

Saffron hesitated.

“W-well, it’s… it’s not like she  _ knew _ I said that.”

“Do you realize how much of a mixed signal that must have been for her?!” Jin hissed. “The girl she liked gave her a stuffed animal that you won her  _ at a carnival,  _ Saffron!”

She hesitated, her tail curling around her almost self-consciously.

“Well… I’m not the only one that sent mixed signals! You’re the one that was constantly cuddling her and doing her hair!” Saffron hissed.

“That’s a friend thing!” Jin defended.

“Not for you! You only did those things with  _ me _ and  **her** , which is just… come on, Jin, that’s a mixed signal,” Saffron replied, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

Jin flushed.

“Well, you’re the one that made her a whole playlist to listen to,” Jin’s eyes narrowed, “and  _ then recorded it, _ ” Saffron winced. “And then you  **sang it to her** ! If you weren’t interested in her, that’s the most mixed signal I have ever heard of! And that’s saying something! I know Aunt Alea!”

“Well you didn’t say anything when it happened!” Saffron snapped.

Jin hesitated.

“Well, I didn’t think about it! Come on, we were  _ dating _ at the time!”

“So you just thought it was normal that we started including her in  _ everything _ we did as a couple?” Saffron asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I don’t know!” Jin blushed a little. “I was just happy she was there.”

“How is that normal?!” Saffron hissed.

“If it was so obvious then why didn’t you think about it?!” Jin growled.

“I’m the pretty one! I don’t need to be the smart one!” Saffron snapped.

“Well I’m definitely not the smart one!” Jin defended.

The two hesitated.

“Wait, shit, that’s Romy. She’s the smart one,” Saffron said slowly.

“Yeah! That’s why she figured out that she liked us so quickly!” Jin said, grinning as if she had discovered the secrets to the universe.

“That’s… Jin, you shouldn’t be excited about that. You  _ do realize _ that we made her go through the same thing she did with Adolpha  _ again, _ right?”

Jin’s smile slowly faded.

“Right.”

“Which means we have to give her the best first date that we can,” Saffron said, grinning. “Where should we take her?”

“The carnival? She had a good time there!”

“Yeah! It was almost like a d-” Saffron hesitated.

“Maybe not,” Jin conceded. “How about we do a picnic? She likes those, right?” Jin asked.

“Yeah! That’s a good idea!” Saffron said, forgetting her composure and letting her tail wag a little bit.

“You know, we should get her something,” Jin said idly, frowning in consideration.

Saffron ran through the normal date stuff in her head. Chocolates? Stuffed animals? No to  _ that _ obviously. Flowers?

“Flowers! Romy likes flowers!” Saffron said, sounding like she was proud of herself for remembering that.

“Right!” Jin grinned. “Let’s get her flowers!”

“Great! We can go tell Aella our plan! She said to when we decided it, right?” Saffron said, putting her hand on Jin’s arm.

Jin grinned in excitement and nodded. She sent one glance at the clock, squinting a bit. That said seven, right? Yeah, she thought so.

Saffron led her out of the dorm room, grabbing her hand with her own, and the two hurried down to the team LAAC dorm room, Jin almost running past it.

Saffron knocked on the door impatiently, tapping her foot as she heard the slow response.

Adolpha slowly opened the door, glaring up at the two of them as soon as she saw them.

“What do you two want?” she growled.

“We-”

“You know what? I don’t care. It’s four, and Aella said come back to get help in the morning. I don’t even know what she’s helping you with, and I honestly can’t  _ believe _ that she is, considering what you said about her. So don’t push your luck.”

With that, Adolpha closed the door silently, but swiftly, leaving the two of them standing in the hallway together.

“Damn you really did screw up,” Saffron said, glancing at her girlfriend, who had on a look of utter shock.

“Yeah… yeah, I noticed.”

“Come on, let’s go get her some flowers!” Saffron said excitedly, dragging her girlfriend down the hallway.

“Right… right! Flowers!”

-

Saffron waved down a taxi, and the two all but leapt into it, grinning.

The cab driver glanced back, eyes going wide.

“Hey! Good to see you two again!” he said.

Saffron frowned for a moment before she placed him.

“Who’s that?” Jin asked, leaning over to whisper to her girlfriend.

“The cab driver that took us back to school when you were drunk,” Saffron replied, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, right…,” Jin muttered.

“Where are you two off to?”

“Flower shop!” Saffron said excitedly.

“Th… wh… it’s four in the morning. They’re not going to be open until at least nine.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Saffron said, waving her hand. “We’ll just be late to class.”

“We will?” Jin asked, frowning.

“Yeah, we will be, this is half your fault, you know,” Saffron said, rolling her eyes.

“Well… it’s a group effort,” Jin said, shrugging.

“Yeah! You’re in the group! And the group is two people!” Saffron hissed.

“You two alright?” the cab driver asked.

“No,” Saffron said, crossing her arms. “It should be  _ three, _ but this idiot had to be  _ jealous _ all the time and ruin that. Now we have to wait three days to ask her out!”

“What?”

“We wanted to ask out this girl at our school, have wanted to for the past,” Saffron glanced at the time on her scroll, “two hours, but we can’t because she’s out of town on a hunt for the next three days.”

The cab driver blinked for a second, confused, and Saffron pulled Jin closer to her, smiling excitedly, even though they still had days to wait.

“Alright. How about we get you to that flower shop five hours early?”

“That would be very much appreciated, yes.”

-

Saffron started to drag her girlfriend toward the classroom, but she hesitated. The two of them had stopped by the dorm to get their things, but now they were hurrying to class to find Aella and talk to her.

Something was different.

She focused on her Semblance for a moment, closing her eyes.

“Everything okay?” Jin asked.

Saffron sensed a large mount of Combustion Dust nearby, and her eyes shot open.

“She’s back!” Saffron cried.

“What?!”

“She’s back early!”

“She’s back early?!” Jin cried, her voice filled with excitement.

Saffron grinned and took off running, dragging her girlfriend behind her.

She was back!


	119. I'm Sorry

The hunt had been going  _ great _ so far, actually! Romy had been a bit distracted from her… well, she’s been distracted from them.

There were four of them on the hunt, but only two of them had really been doing anything. Romelle and Romy had wanted to go on their own, but the school had insisted that Ren and a nurse come with them.

Yvenne had been the nurse they had sent from the school, and Romy immediately recognized her as the girl she had met after Yang had beat her up.

“You… doing better lately?” Yvenne asked, sounding a bit nervous.

“Worse, actually,” Romy said, laying down her sleeping bag.

“That… well, I’m sorry ta hear that.”

“Yeah, I am too,” Romy replied.

“What happened?” Yvenne questioned, taking a seat next to her.

Yvenne was a punctual person, it seemed, considering she had already put her sleeping bag down ten minutes before either of the twins had even considered it.

“Well that girl I said I liked?”

Yvenne nodded, though she looked a little confused.

“Turns out she was in love with my sister. That one over there,” she pointed at Romelle.

“That’s right!” Romelle called, flipping her off.

“And  _ that _ was bad,” Romy shrugged. “But then I got over her, and then I fell for the people that were comforting me,” Yvenne’s eyes widened, but Romy didn’t notice, “and then it turns out they were dating the whole time and didn’t bother to tell me.”

Yvenne glanced at Romelle, who nodded sagely.

Ren looked up a bit, frowning just slightly as if this was news to him as well, but he decided not to talk about it. After all, his children wouldn’t be at the school and have to deal with it until next year. He thought he’d save all of his gossip energy until they had to go.

“That’s… that’s rough, partner,” Yvenne said slowly.

Romy sighed and shook her head, leaning back on the sleeping bag.

“Yup. I know.”

The group got ready to sleep for the next fifteen minutes, and Romy, the last to fall asleep, was out in half an hour. Like she’d said, it had been a relatively great hunt, which meant that they had been taking out the myriad of little Grimm they had been sent to take care of.

So it was pretty easy to fall asleep, considering Romy could let her mind wander.

-

Romy was shocked awake when she felt the ground start to shake underneath her.

She sat up quickly, squinting in the darkness. She could just make out her sister a few feet away, and the two of them scrambled to their feet.

“What’s going on?!” Romelle cried.

Romy reached out her telepathy and connected her sister, and the two shot forward into the dark.

Romy fumbled with her scroll and turned on the light, putting it in her chest pocket and letting just a little bit of light shine out of her pocket.

Romy grabbed her weapon and hesitated for just a moment.

She wondered if she should regret not bringing her card gun.

_ You should. It’s a better weapon, _ Romelle thought, holding her scroll in her hand as she dashed forward.

Romy ignored her words.

Romelle was looking around with an intent look on her face, and Romy could just make out the look of her eyes, which had shifted to clocks.

Romy chased after her sister and toward whatever could be attacking them. She almost skidded to a stop when she saw it, or, well, _ them, _ but she didn’t let herself.

In front of her, there were twenty-four Manticore Grimm in front of her, and she glanced at her sister.

_ Well, these aren’t supposed to be here, _ Romy thought.

_ Let’s just get this done fast, okay? _ Romelle asked, sounding uncharacteristically serious.

Romy nodded and brought her weapon in front of her, but she found herself missing her card gun.

Ren called back for them, but they ignored him.

Romy kept close to her sister, staying by her side. She seemed a bit distracted, and Romy was worried she might get hurt.

Romelle, on the other hand, was more focused than she had ever been in her life. She had been hearing the ticking steadily grow in her head since they had left, but she could never be sure what would cause it to stop. She’d never had the ticking go on this long before, and she was starting to worry that something was going to go wrong.

They made their way through a few of the Grimm, Romelle mowing down about five on her own with her buzzsaw pocket watch, but Romy was struggling to keep up. She kept getting caught in close combat, and she was starting to get a little bit worried.

One of the Grimm swiped forward toward Romy and she raised her cane sword to block the hit, though she didn’t know if she’d be able to.

Before she had the chance to test that fact, Romelle threw herself in front of her sister.

The Grimm hit her full force, and Romelle was thrown to the side, hitting a nearby tree and slumping to the ground.

_ ROMELLE! _ Romy cried, racing after her sister. She was able to avoid a few attacks from the pride of Grimm, and she found herself using the different acrobatics tricks that Aella had taught her during their trip to the trampoline park. She positioned herself between her sister and the monsters.

“YVENNE!” Romy called out, glancing back at her sister.

_ It’s fine. It’s fine! Everything’s going to be fine! _

Romelle grunted and tried to push herself to her feet, but she cried out as her arm failed her, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Ren was in the middle of the fight, taking out Grimm after Grimm with his Semblance flared.

“Get out of here!” he called.

A part of Romy wanted to listen, but she knew that she couldn’t, not when there was a chance that something could happen to Romelle.

Yvenne raced toward Romelle, sliding on her knees and putting a hand on her arm.

Yvenne’s Semblance, as she had told the twins earlier, allowed her to absorb the wounds of others into herself, though the damage was halved in the process. It took a substantial amount of her Aura to do so, and she had joked about the two of them staying out of trouble so she wouldn’t have to use it.

Yvenn had already absorbed all of Romelle’s injuries, and she groaned, falling backward as Romelle stumbled to her feet.

“I said get out of here!” Ren snapped, losing his composure for the first time Romy had ever heard.

Romy spun on her heel to do as told, but a Grimm pounced, tackling her to the ground.

Romelle heard the ticking in her head stop, and she screamed, sprinting forward with her weapon raised.

She didn’t care that her Aura was broken, because the only thing that mattered was Romy getting torn to shreds.

Romy was screaming in pain out loud and in her head, but suddenly the noise stopped.

While her sister’s Aura broke, their telepathic connection broke, and Romelle couldn’t find it in herself to scream.

Ren appeared out of nowhere, like a guardian angel that had arrived moments too late, and sliced through the creature, but Romy was already bleeding profusely, her eyes dazed as she stared up unseeingly at the sky.

Ren reached down to pick up Romy gently, and Yvenne scrambled to her feet, wincing at every motion, limping toward the two of them.

Romelle saw her, and her eyes widened.

Hope.

Yvenne wasn’t walking toward Romy, Hope was.

She could save her! Yeah! Yvenne had just healed Romelle’s broken ribs  _ and _ her broken arm, so of course she would be able to heal her!

Yvenne reached up her arm to put it on Romy, but she cried out, grabbing her shoulder. She shook her head furiously and put her hand on Romy.

“You don’t have enough Aura, Yve-”

Yvenne glared up at him darkly.

“Like fuck I don’t.”

Yvenne started to use her Semblance, but a few seconds after, she cried out, her Aura breaking in an explosion of white that caused her to stumble back, hitting the ground.

She had been able to stop the bleeding for a moment, but it hadn’t been anywhere near enough.

Ren reached down and grabbed Yvenne’s hand, dragging her to her feet before he took off at a sprint toward the airship.

Romelle watched them in a state of shock, not moving for a moment.

No.

This…

This was wrong.

This wasn’t what was supposed to happen.

No.

They… they were supposed to finish the mission and go back home together. They were supposed to be closer than ever.

They…

It wasn’t supposed to end like this!

It  **_couldn’t_ ** end like this!

“Romelle!” Ren snapped, causing her to jump.

They were almost at the airship.

Romelle took off at a sprint, her eyes still wide.

She wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, and when she skidded to a stop in the airship, she stared with a blank expression at Romy, who was spread out across two seats.

Everything was foggy, but she could still see her sister with vivid clarity.

She was small, smaller than Romelle had ever thought she could be, curled up in a broken heap on the seats. The leather under her, which had been a dark shade of black, was now stained crimson.

Blood…

There…

There shouldn’t be that much blood, right?

Dust, could a human have that much blood?

Romelle hadn’t thought so, especially for a small person like her sister…

Suddenly, it all crashed around her, and her eyes widened.

This…

It was happening.

Romy was laying there bleeding out while their only hope of medical aid struggled to breathe, holding her chest with one hand. Romy was laying there, so tiny, as the blood pooled around her, dripping down onto the ground as she slipped out of the seats.

The blood slowly ran down the airship as it took off, finally halting when it touched her shoe, staining it crimson.

Romelle stumbled back, falling to the ground with both of her hands covering her mouth.

Despite her desperate attempt to escape, the blood followed her with a vengeful sort of passion, as if condemning her for letting this happen.

Because she had, hadn’t she?

She’d been too late, hadn’t done enough.

She blinked away tears and tore her gaze away from the blood, wincing as it coated her jacket next.

Her eyes landed on Romy, and she forced herself to her feet and scrambled over to her sister.

The bleeding.

She had to stop it.

Romelle took her jacket off with shaking hands, pressing it against the wound.

She couldn’t stop the sob that escaped her as the blood soaked through her jacket, coating her hands.


	120. An Ending

Jin and Saffron raced through the halls.

Inside, Neo and Ciel glanced out of the window, their eyes growing worried when they saw the familiar airship flying down. They recognized it, considering it was the very one they had used to travel the world numerous times.

And the one that had taken their daughters to their first solo hunt just three days ago.

Why was it back?

The two shared a look for a moment before they sprinted out of the room at full speed.

Aella considered for just a moment before she realized what the two of them had in common.

She leapt to her feet and flew after them, leaving the rest of the class in a confused haze. As she left, she grabbed Adolpha by the hand and dragged her out.

“What’s going on?” Adolpha asked, stumbling for a moment before Aella lifted her into the air.

“They’re back.”

Adolpha grinned in excitement.

“They’re back early!” she hesitated.

“They’re… they’re back early?” her voice was soft, almost lost to the whirlwind around them, and it was almost broken as she stared unseeingly at Aella. “They… they shouldn’t be back early.”

Aella couldn’t find it in her to respond.

Ahead of them, Neo and Ciel were running at full speed, their eyes wide and filled with panic.

-

Jin and Saffron were both smiling when they skidded to a stop in the courtyard, watching as the airship landed.

The door opened slowly, and Saffron took a deep breath, glancing at her girlfriend with a mixture of nerves and excitement. Her hands shook a little bit as she brought the flowers in front of herself, running a hand down the petals. Jin reached over and started to grab Saffron’s hands to steady them, but they both were distracted as they saw someone leap out of the airship.

Romelle had jumped out, holding her sister in both arms.

The flowers tumbled out of Saffron’s hands.

Romelle raced past them, not seeming to notice that they were there, and they both watched with wide eyes as Romy passed, the moment seeming to be in slow motions.

Romy was limp in her sister’s arms, and she took one wracking breath, though it seemed like it pained her to do so. Her head was lulled back over her arms, bouncing with every step. Her eyes were shut, and when they watched her go, both of them found it impossible to move.

The air was sucked from their lungs, and the joviality was gone from their gazes.

They stared in shock for a moment before Romelle screamed.

For a moment, it seemed as if her voice had shattered glass around them, but they realized moments later that it had just been their world crashing around them.

“HELP!” Romelle shrieked. “SOMEONE HELP! ANYONE!  _ PLEASE _ !”

A few forms raced out of the school, including Adolpha, Neo, Ciel, and Aella.

A few medical professionals were on the scene in moments, taking Romy from Romelle’s hands.

“Please…,” Romelle whispered, “pl…,” her voice caught, “please.”

Adolpha let go of Aella, who had stopped in midair, her eyes going wide as she looked around. She looked at Romy for a second, her gaze growing fearful, before she tore her gaze away. She took a moment to look at Romelle, but Adolpha was already at her side, catching her before she could fall to the ground.

Ren was already sprinting toward his husband, who was directing the medical staff.

That left…

Yvenne stumbled out of the airship, bleeding a bit from her stomach and limping.

Aella dropped from the sky a few feet in front of her, catching Yvenne before she could fall.

“I… I couldn’t do anything,” Yvenne whispered, not seeming to notice Aella for a moment.

While the medical personnel hooked Romy up to a bunch of devices that nobody understood. They set her on a gurney, starting to sprint inside.

Yvenne suddenly turned, staring intently at Aella. She reached up and grabbed the collar of her shirt with her uninjured hand.

“I couldn’t save her,” she whispered, but the quietness didn’t detract from her vehemence. “She… I should have  _ known _ better than to help Romelle too much! I should have  **known** something would go wrong! But… I just… I just let it happen.”

“Shh,” Aella gently pulled Yvenne closer and kept her on her feet as she headed toward the infirmary. “It’s not your fault. You helped Romelle, right?”

Yvenne nodded dully.

“You did everything you could,” Aella comforted. “And she’s going to be fine.”

Yvenne stared at her intently at the words.

“She is?” she croaked, her voice cracking with emotion.

Aella didn’t know.

“Of course she is. I once saw her with five broken arms at once, you know.”

Yvenne hesitated.

“Wh-what?”

“Yeah,” Aella forced a grin. “Five at once. Like an octopus. Weird, huh?”

“How… what?” Yvenne asked, for once not watching as Romy was wheeled inside.

“That’s what I said!”

Meanwhile, Romy was being pushed inside.

Saffron and Jin sprinted over. Or, well, Saffron was running alongside, and Jin was being dragged behind her.

Jin was in a state of shock, her eyes wide as she seemed to look through anything she saw.

Saffron let go of Jin, and Jin kept running, but she didn’t seem to understand why.

“Let me carry her, I can get her there faster,” Saffron said quickly.

The nurses ignored her, and Jaune tried to snap at her, but Saffron didn’t seem to notice.

“I… it’s what I’m good at! Please just… please just let me help her,” Saffron pleaded. “I can… I can get her there faster.”

One of the nurses was about to respond, but they were cut off as one of the machines started to shriek at them, the sound of a shrill mechanical beep, prolonged over several moments.

It had been beeping steadily, and Saffron had been ignoring it, but she recognized the machine. It was an electrocardiograph.

That…

That was the electricity thing, right? It tracked the electrical impulses of the heart, right?

Then…

Then why was it flat?

No, it shouldn’t be.

Around her, people were shouting. Neo was trying to sign something, but her hands were shaking too much, and Ciel grabbed them in her own, tears falling down her face.

One of the nurses grabbed the defibrillator.

An electric shock shot through Romy, causing her small body to shake intensely, picking up off of the gurney.

The shrill screaming still tormented her ears. Saffron wanted to cover her ears, to silence the sound, but she couldn’t do anything but stare.

Another shot, this time stronger.

The squealing was now overwhelming, and Saffron’s tail fell down beside her, going limp as her hands shook.

Another.

Saffron saw the nurses exchanging glances even as Jaune insisted they shock Romy again.

Another, this time at full capacity.

The shrill sound was gone, and for a moment, Saffron thought it would be replaced by the beeping.

She realized, dully, that the shrieking was gone only because she couldn’t hear  _ anything. _

The world around her had gone mute, and the screaming around her fell on deaf ears.

The nurses all stopped, and Saffron looked around, her eyes going wide.

What?

No, they couldn’t be stopping!

Romy…

She wasn’t…

That was  _ Romy _ they had there.

They couldn’t just…

Saffron took a wracking breath, and with it, sound came rushing back to her ears.

She could hear the screams, the shouts, the quick footsteps of people around them, Ciel and Neo’s sobbing, her heart racing.

But there was one thing she couldn’t hear.

No… no, they couldn’t!

Saffron dashed forward, tears falling down her face without her noticing.

Jin watched all of this with disbelief, half expecting to wake up and half wondering if  _ anything _ was real.

Because…

This definitely wasn’t.

This wasn’t how the story was supposed to end.

The story was supposed to end in three days when she stepped out of that airship and Saffron and Jin told her how much they loved her.

The story would end with them growing old together, right? This would just be a funny story they told.

Haha, Mama Jin had a nightmare about Mama Romy dying, right?

That’s funny.

Except…

Well, it didn’t feel very funny right now.

Saffron shoved a nurse out of the way, though she didn’t seem to notice they were there, and she stopped just beside Romy.

She was still laying there, motionless.

Saffron almost stopped right then, but she knew that she couldn’t.

Saffron’s hands shook as she reached out and put them on Romy.

This wasn’t the end.

Was it?

Saffron’s mind was blank, and if someone were to ask her later why she did what she did, she would only have one answer.

Stop.

She had to stop it.

The shrill, incessant noise that clouded her head and made her want to scream.

It had to stop.

Saffron didn’t notice as she turned on her semblance, her hands planting themselves on Romy’s chest.

Electricity Dust roared to life at a silent command from Saffron, the current shooting from her fingertips and into Romy’s chest.

Romy convulsed one last time.

Saffron stared down at her intently, and she finally heard it.

A beep.

The shrill sound was gone.

Romy took a shaky breath, but she didn’t open her eyes.

Saffron stared down at her with shock as the beeping continued.

She didn’t notice as the people around her tried to pull her away from Romy, and she planted her feet on the ground to steady herself as she leaned down, wrapping Romy in a gentle hug as she sobbed.

They continued to try to pry her off of Romy, but none were able to as she clung to her.

Finally, Aella gently set Yvenne against the wall, muttering something about being the only one in the group with any common sense and giving her a forced smile.

Aella pulled away and dashed over to Saffron.

“Hey, hey, you have to,” Aella hesitated, deciding  **against** saying ‘let go,’ “let them help her. You did your part.”

“I told them I could… I could help,” Saffron whispered, leaning back enough to cradle Romy’s face in her hand.

She realized that her glove was stopping her from doing so properly, and she shot it off with her semblance before rubbing her thumb against Romy’s face.

“Yeah, you did,” Aella said. “But now it’s their turn. Come on, you can do it.”

Jin watched the whole thing, having a dull thought that she should help, but she still couldn’t make herself do anything but watch.

“Come on,” Aella guided Saffron back, and the nurses hurried to get Romy to the infirmary, Saffron leaning against Aella with a look of shock on her face.

Aella looked around for a moment, taking in everything and everyone.

Yvenne was still leaning against the wall, breathing shallowly, while her arm shook. Neo and Ciel were at Romy’s side, following into the infirmary. Adolpha was holding Romelle, who was staring with disbelief as she watched her sister, having just seen her come back to life. Jin was still standing there with a distant expression.

Yup.

Seemed like  _ pretty much everyone else  _ was in shock.

Aella let go of Saffron, shepherding her to Jin, and then dashed back to grab Yvenne.

Aella then gently prodded Saffron and Adolpha to lead their respective girlfriends to the infirmary.

She could do this.

If the doctors were going to make sure Romy was alright, then Aella was going to make sure that everyone else was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, not my fault. You guys asked for Saffron and Jin to be sad. I provided. You said it wasn't fair for Romy to be hurt, so I'm playing fair.
> 
> I'm generous like that.


	121. Be Alright

Romelle had taken the seat next to Romy’s bedside, grabbing her hand while the nurses and doctors started to hurry around, checking on Romy and grabbing their medical equipment.

Aella had helped Yvenne to another bed, and she had fallen asleep when she saw that Romy was alright. Adolpha was seated on the floor beside Romy, holding her free hand. Romelle was squeezing it tightly, but she didn’t seem to even notice that Adolpha was there.

Saffron was still standing beside Romy’s bed, her tail limp beside her and her sunglasses askew as she watched with concern. She reached down and pushed a little bit of Romy’s hair out of her face, her hand shaking as she did so. Despite that, Saffron had abandoned her gloves on the bedside table.

Neo was trying to talk to the doctors, but her hands were shaking far too much for them to get anything. Ciel grabbed both of her hands in her own and started to speak, pulling her wife closer as they listened to their daughter’s condition.

She was supposed to make a full recovery, but they didn’t get further than that before Ciel and Neo started to cry, taking one of the seats beside Romy and staring at her lovingly.

Jin was the only one that didn’t seem to have a response, considering she was standing beside Saffron and staring blankly at Romy.

Romy twitched a little, and Jin suddenly seemed to react, her hands going up to cover her mouth as tears appeared in her eyes. She stumbled back a step before she almost fell. Saffron caught her, and Aella shot out a gust of wind, pushing a chair behind Jin, which she promptly fell back into. As Jin broke down, leaning against Saffron, she started to speak a little.

“She… she  _ died, _ ” Jin whispered, causing Saffron to nod slowly.

“Yeah. Yeah she did.”

Jin curled up beside Saffron, putting her head on her stomach as she sobbed.

Saffron didn’t seem much better, but she wasn’t the worst in the room.

Romelle suddenly seemed to realize everything that had happened, and she looked down at her hands, which began to shake.

She let out a sound of terror.

It wasn’t a scream, not even a shout.

It was a whimper, and one that barely got out.

She scrambled out of her chair, yanking her bloodied hand out of Romy’s. She found that she had left a bloody palm print on her sister, and she looked around desperately for something to clean it.

“Off… someone… somebody get it off!” Romelle shouted, already trying to wipe off the blood with her hand, but she only smeared more on her hand.

Adolpha seemed confused and tried to hold her girlfriend back, but that just made Romelle squirm and shout more, her eyes clouded with tears.

Aella dashed over, eyes darting from Romelle to Romy’s red hand.

“Hey, hey, don’t worry, it’s not the first time she was caught red handed,” Aella said consolingly, giving Romelle a comforting smile, though it was forced. “I can clean that off for you.”

Aella reached a somewhat shaking hand into her cloak. She pulled out a wipe and used it to clean off Romy’s hand.

“See? Good as new!”

Romelle let out a shaky breath, calming down a bit as she shook her head.

“Hey, Dolph, how about you get her cleaned up? Think she has something in her hair,” Aella lied, giving Adolpha a meaningful look before she turned to face the room.

There were thundering footsteps down the hall, and Lavey went to slam the door open.

Aella held out her hand and a gust of wind held it shut.

“No visitors at this time, thank you!” Aella said to the door, giving them a fake smile.

She hoped it was convincing.

As Aella looked around the group, she forced her smile to broaden.

It was alright.

She was going to make sure they were alright. She could take care of them.

This was what she was good at.

She’d fix it for them.


	122. Talks

“No, no, this is horrific,” Aella said, shaking her head sufferingly. “You are not taking her on a picnic.”

“Wh-why?” Saffron asked.

She was holding Jin’s hand and the two of them were leaning against each other. Jin was a little red, which showed that she had been crying for quite a while before this, but other than that, she seemed fine.

Aella was trying to distract them by talking about the date they were planning.

“Bad experience.”

“What? When?”

“Well, there was one time when she saw these two girls she liked having a picnic together and then ran face first into a column,” Aella said, shrugging. “So no picnic.”

Jin frowned.

“Wait, she liked two girls? When? That had to be before Adolpha, right?”

Aella’s eye twitched.

“Wh-how-how do you two get through a day without Romy? Seriously, how are you alive? How is she the one that died for like two minutes back there?” Aella asked, waving her hand.

Jin’s eyes filled with tears and Aella guessed that, for some people, that joke was far too early.

“But you can’t do a picnic. You’re going to a fancy dinner because Romy loves cheesy romance. You’re dressing up nice,  _ no gloves, _ and then you’re going to give her better flowers than you gave her before. You’re also going to get her other gifts, and you’re going to have to get rid of that red panda. Also! Jacket!” Aella said excitedly.

The two shared a look.

“What?” they asked.

“Jin, give Saffron your jacket,” Aella said, waving her hand. “Now, Saffron, just… I don’t know, break one of your dozens of perfume bottles on top of it.”

“What?!” Saffron asked, her eyes widening.

“Or wear it, I guess. That perfume of yours is, apparently,  _ super _ strong or something,” Aella said. “Romy likes it, so wear the jacket. And you’re going to wear the one she bought you too so it has your perfume on it.”

“What do we do with them?” Saffron asked, frowning.

“I-wh… do I have to do everything?” Aella asked, sounding genuinely shocked. “You  _ give her the jacket, Saffron _ ! Like  _ every romantic movie ever. _ ”

“How

Aella considered for a moment before she looked around, going onto the tips of her toes.

“FLOWER BITCH!” Aella called, causing the two of them to jump and stare at her with disbelief.

It wasn’t that Aella wasn’t known for cursing, but… she typically had a reason for insulting people, at least.

“Yeah, Detective?” Adolpha replied, sitting up straighter from where she was, holding Romelle around the shoulders.

“Can you get SD and TD some real flowers? Not the kind we thought SGH got last time, something  _ like _ what she got, but not that,” Aella replied.

Adolpha glanced at her girlfriend.

“What about Alien?”

“Right… you know what? Just send me a list, I’ll message someone else to get them!” Aella replied.

Adolpha gave her a thumbs up before she pulled Romelle closer, giving her a kiss on the top of her head.

Jin and Saffron shared a look of utter confusion, neither knowing what the two of them were saying. And what was a “Flower Bitch?” What did she get last time? Was there an extraterrestrial in their midst?

“Alright! All you have to do is make a few arbitrary decisions! You literally  _ cannot _ mess this up!” Aella gave them a grin before patting Saffron on the arm and starting to walk off, already pulling out her scroll.

Jin suddenly remembered something.

“Wait! Aella, I wanted to say sorry fo-”

Aella turned, putting on a fake smile.

“Oh, don’t worry, Jin,” she forced a little laugh. “You were just saying what we all know. I’m the crazy one, makes sense that she wouldn’t want me.”

Saffron’s eyes widened and Jin froze, her hand an inch away from grabbing Aella.

Adolpha looked up at the words, a look of concern filling her features.

“Aella, I-”

“Like I said, it’s no big deal. Besides, who’d want a vent gremlin, amiright?” Aella laughed before she walked off, messaging on her scroll.

When Aella turned a corner, Adolpha perked up.

“Yeah, you have to fix whatever shit you did  _ there, _ ” Adolpha said, gesturing at where their sister had walked off to.

“Yeah… yeah, I know,” Jin said, sounding shocked.

-

Sugar: Hey guys, I’m going to need a few favors. You mind?

Rae: Anything

Brae: for you

Rae: Obviously.

Dera: What’s up?

Sugar: Yeah Romy died so we need to get her presents.

Zoh: She what?!

Kes: Huh?!

Rae: How?!

Brae: She DIED?!

Dera: Mom didn’t say anything about Romy dying!! Is my dad back?! Is he okay?!

Sugar: She’s fine now, Saffron restarted her heart, but now Saff and Jin want to ask her out and they’re terrible at flirting so we need to do it for them pretty much.

Rae: How is she fine?? She died???

Dera: Is everyone okay?

Sugar: Oh yeah everyone else is okay. There’s some shock and sadness, but I’m trying to keep them all distracted and happy, you know, that’s what I do, and now I’m trying to keep morale up!

Kes: You know I’d do anything for you, Sugar.

Rae: So you’re NOT dating Romy?

Sugar: Aww, thanks, Kes! Also, I’m DEFINITELY not dating Romy. One last thing: why do you guys keep calling me sugar? It’s kinda weird, right?

Zoh: You’re a sugar glider.

Rae: And you’re sweet.

Zoh: That too.

Sugar: Oh, makes sense.

Dera: What do you need us to do?

Sugar: Brae and Rae, I need you to get flowers. Abdera and Zoh, can you get her a stuffed animal from Build-A-Bear Workshop. And Kes, can you get some games? You know, board and card games that can be played in the hospital? Oh! And a bunch of playing cards.

Kesey: Sounds like a lot. Want to come keep me company?

Sugar: Aw, I’d like to, but I’m a little tied up here. I mean everyone needs help and I think that Jin’s mad at me.

Kes: Aw, come on, I’m sure you could use a break. Knowing you, you probably haven’t had a moment to think about yourself since it happened.

Sugar: I guess I could leave for a few minutes, make sure everything goes smoothly.

Kes: Great! Be there soon!

-

Aella found herself smiling as she put her scroll back into her pocket, looking around.

“Do you guys think it would be alright if I left for a few minutes? Kesey wanted me to come with her to grab some games,” Aella said.

“Of course you can go, DBP,” Adolpha said with a small smile.

“Kesey wanted you to go with her?” Romelle asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, she said something about having to pick up so many games might be a lot, and I totally get that, so she’s coming by to pick me up and we can go grab the games!”

“I’m sure,” Romelle replied, rolling her eyes.

Jin glanced at Romelle for a moment, frowning in confusion, before she looked over at Aella.

“So… can I go?” Aella asked. “I promise I’ll be right back.”

“Of course you can go,” Adolpha said gently.

Aella grinned in excitement before she thanked them and dashed off.

“Wait!” Saffron called. “I had a question!”

“Stop bothering the Detective,” Adolpha said, rolling her eyes. “What’s your question?”

“I was wondering what happened to Romy’s weapon,” Saffron said, shifting a bit. “I mean, I didn’t see it, and I wanted to know if something was wrong with it… so I could fix it for her for when she woke up…”

“Broken,” Romelle said, shrugging.

“The card guns broke?!” Saffron cried in disbelief.

“Not those. She didn’t want to take those, so she brought the backup cane sword. It broke,” Romelle said.

“Why didn’t she want to take it?” Saffron asked, seeming worried.

Romelle looked at Saffron in disbelief.

“You made it for her.”

“Yeah, to keep her safe.”

“And then you  _ broke her heart, _ Saffron,” Romelle said, rolling her eyes.

Saffron hesitated.

“Oh. Right… that… was unintentional, at least.”

“Didn’t make the whole thing any easier, right, Bandwagon?” Romelle called.

“Bandwag-”

“Don’t utter my name!” Lavey called. “And yeah you’re right. You know, we taught this extraterrestrial a lot about human emotion while we were at it too. Really taught us all something about being hum-”

“Don’t make me use this,” Romelle said, holding up her pocket watch threateningly.

Lavey hesitated.

“Eh, you get the point.”

“I really do-”

Jin was cut off.

“Anyways, the RPS fixed her, so tread lightly. You two were our top criminals for a while.”

“The what?” Saffron asked.

“The RPS, a group of amazing individuals that protected  _ your _ crush after everything you did to her,” Adolpha said, glaring and crossing her arms.

Jin and Saffron couldn’t get a straight answer out of the two of them for a half hour.

-

Romelle glanced up and saw Jin, who was staring down at Romy with a familiar expression on her face.

She reached down and ran her hand down Romy’s face almost reverently.

Reverently.

That’s what it reminded Romelle of!

Jin was looking at Romy the exact same way that Adolpha looked at Romelle! She’d recognize that look anywhere!

Except… apparently not when it was on someone else’s face…

But she’d recognize Adolpha giving that look anywhere?

She gasped, spinning around to face Adolpha where they sat.

“They like Romy!” she hissed. She hit Adolpha on the arm repeatedly in excitement. “They like Romy!”

“Uh… yeah, I know…,” Adolpha said awkwardly. “They were going to ask her out when you two got back.”

Romelle hesitated.

“You knew?”

“Yeah, we figured it out, like, the day after you left,” Adolpha said, shrugging. “Or, well, DBP figured it out.”

“Oh.”

-

“Wait, do we get to give them reformed names?” Ilesha asked. The question was, like most things Ilesha did, out of the blue, and it seemed like there was no context.

Despite this, the RPS understood instantly.

“I suppose…,” GPS said, rubbing her chin.

“Shouldn’t we ask DBP? Wasn’t she the one that led all of this?” Adolpha asked, glaring a bit at Jin.

“Who is DBP?” Jin asked.

“Don’t speak her name, Tall Dumbass,” Crystal said, rolling her eyes.

“Wh-that was my name?!” Jin cried.

“Well duh,” Cooper said, shrugging. “Dumbass. But I can message Ellie about reformed nicknames!”

There was a moment before he grinned.

“She likes it!”

“Can we call her Defibrillator?” Ilesha asked, tilting her head to the side a bit as she looked at Saffron. “Ya know, cause she started her heart?”

She pointed at Romy, who was still laying on the bed unconscious.

“Wh-no-”

“I love it!” Romelle cried, cackling.

The others started to laugh.

“That’s even worse than mine!” Crystal cried, leaning against Ilesha.

“Me too!” Auburn agreed, putting his head on Clover’s shoulder.

“You can’t call me-”

“If you wanna be an RPS member you gotta have the nickname,” Adolpha said, raising an eyebrow. “I didn’t like mine, but now I’m Flower Bitch. Suck it up.”

“What even is the RPS?!” Saffron cried.

“The group of people that saved your almost girlfriend from  _ so _ much depression and sad situations,” Rosemary said, rolling her eyes.

Saffron was surprised that even her sister wasn’t on her side.

“It stands for Romy Protection Squad,” Akio said, rolling his eyes.

“Can we call her Crybaby?” Romelle asked, looking suddenly excited as she stared at Jin.

“Wh-me?!” Jin cried.

“Yeah, I mean, you cried like a little baby,” Romelle said, shrugging.

Neo and Ciel opened the door, having brought food for everyone.

“You cried for like two hours over your almost dead almost girlfriend. And she was only one of those things for, like, five seconds,” Romelle continued, waving her hand dismissively.

Neo and Ciel shared a look before they walked out of the room.

“Yeah, crybaby,” Lavey said, snickering.

“YOU ALL CRIED!” Jin cried.

“Yeah, but you did it like a little baby,” Romelle said. “At least I had the common decency to have a full blown mental breakdown instead of whatever it was you did.”

Jin groaned and leaned against Saffron.

Neither of them were very fond of their nicknames.


	123. The Outings

“Thanks for coming with me, I probably wouldn’t have known what to do without you,” Kesey said, sliding over and putting her head on Aella’s shoulder.

Aella glanced at her for a moment before she smiled and shrugged.

“You’re welcome! It’s not a really big deal, and you offered to help me anyways! Let’s just… I need to be back soon, you know? Make sure that everything goes smoothly.”

“Of course,” Kesey replied.

Kesey reached one hand behind Aella as they walked, her hand slipping into her cloak pocket.

She touched the other girl’s scroll lightly with one finger, flaring her Semblance, before she extracted her hand, causing the device to dangle from her finger in what should have been called a precarious fashion. Kesey slid the scroll into her own pocket, smirking to herself as she felt it go off.

Aella didn’t need to know about that. After all, she deserved a break, right?

“Oh!” Aella cried out in excitement. “They have cards!”

“I assumed they would,” Kesey said, raising an eyebrow.

Aella reached down and grabbed Kesey by the hand before taking off toward some of the cards and board games that surrounded them.

Kesey glanced down at their hands, too surprised to turn on her Semblance as she was dragged behind Aella further into the store.

She could honestly get used to this.

She squeezed Aella’s hand in her own, letting her Semblance lie dormant as they moved about the store.

Aella was grinning enthusiastically whenever she found another game or deck of cards that she thought would help the people in the waiting room, tossing each and every one into the basket that Kesey was carrying for her.

Kesey wondered if she should tell Aella that this was probably too many games for the situation, but she stopped herself before she could do so, staring at the excited glint in Aella’s eyes as she dashed through the aisles and almost took off flying a few times to get where she wanted.

Aella used a gust of wind to propel herself forward, causing a nearby deck of cards to fall from the shelf. Kesey’s foot shot out, connecting with the deck before it could hit the floor, and she tugged Aella to a stop before she put the deck back.

“Wow, you caught that?!” Aella cried, grinning.

Kesey couldn’t stop herself from smiling back.

“Yeah. That’s my Semblance, Ally.”

“That’s awesome!” Aella said enthusiastically. “You see, I always end up dropping things because I’m clumsy, but my Semblance makes it seem like I don’t.”

Kesey snorted, rolling her eyes with a fond expression.

Aella leaned a bit closer so that she was slightly invading the other girl’s personal space.

“Don’t tell anyone, I like to keep that under wraps. It can be our little secret,” Aella winked at Kesey before she grinned, taking off through the store again.

Kesey was dragged along behind the other girl, a light blush on her face as she watched her go.

-

The door to the infirmary pushed open, and four people stepped in.

The first was tall, about Ilesha’s height, with a one-sided undercut, her hair, which was a darker shade of purple, dipped down to about mid back. On the top of her head were a pair of panther ears, which were folded down a bit down with worry. She took off her sunglasses, which were a dark shade of purple, and put them in her leather jacket’s coat. She tucked her motorcycle helmet under her arm, hurrying over to stop at Yvenne’s bedside.

The second form was a bit shorter than the first, and she had short, curly black hair that wasn’t long enough to fall down and cover her eyes, and the sides were shaved mostly clean. She had dark brown eyes, which were just a shade lighter than her skin tone. She was wearing a hoodie, which was just a bit too big for her, that was a dark shade of navy blue, and she had on a pair of loose pants.

The third was short, a bit smaller than Crystal herself, and was wearing a nice jacket and jeans, her hair done up in a loose ponytail. She looked vaguely familiar to a few people, but they couldn’t quite place her. She had a pair of polar bear ears on top of her head, which almost seemed to blend in with her pale white hair. Her blue eyes shone with worry as she stopped beside Yvenne as well, taking a seat beside her bed.

The fourth and final figure was tall, far more so than the first had been, and she towered over even Jin. Her eyes were a bright shade of green, which contrasted well with her long jet black hair. She had on a dark green tank top and brown sweatpants, not seeming to care that almost everyone else was dressed for colder months, and she glanced around for a moment before she stood beside Yvenne’s bedside table. She cursed under her breath as she hit her head on one of the various machines that surrounded them in the infirmary, and she ducked down a bit to avoid them.

Yvenne sat up a bit in bed, looking around.

“Surprised you guys came,” she said, smirking just a little. When she tried to laugh, she grimaced.

“Shut up, idiot,” the first one said, though she was very gentle as she helped Yvenne lay back down.

“Your bedside manner is immaculate, Vander,” Yvenne said, looking at the woman dressed in a leather jacket.

“Why is everything in this place too small?” the fourth one asked, bending down a bit. “The ceiling, the chairs, Yvenne.”

“Shut up, Xylia,” Yvenne said, though there was a small light of fondness in her eyes. “You won’t be that tall when Torey finally goes through with taking your kneecaps, ya giant.”

“I will!” the third one, the one with the polar bear ears, cried, giving Yvenne a small grin.

“She keeps saying that, but I really don’t think she can  _ reach _ your kneecaps, Xy,” the second said, raising an eyebrow.

“One day we will end the rule of giants in this world,” Torey said solemnly. “Starting with Xylia and Kylee.”

Kylee, the one in the hoodie, rolled her eyes and leaned back where she sat.

“Oh, Hunter wanted us to make sure you were okay,” Torey said.

“Those two still dating?” Vander asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We’ve been datin’ for months, City Slicker!” Yvenne hissed.

Vander started to snicker, and Yvenne flushed a light shade of red as her friends laughed.

-

Abdera had an excited grin on her face as she looked around the room.

“Oh, I haven’t been to one of these since I was a little kid,” Abdera said, darting forward and dragging Zohra further into the workshop.

“You liked it, I assume?” Zohra asked, raising an eyebrow playfully.

Abdera didn’t seem to notice the sarcasm.

“Yeah! I really liked stuffed animals when I was younger! They were just so tiny and cute, nice to hold and snuggle up to.”

Zohra found herself smiling a bit, her head ducking down.

She was surprised when Abdera grabbed her by the upper arm, letting out a squeal of excitement.

“Do you see that one?! Aw, look at its little ears!” she said.

“Uh, they said to get,” Zohra checked her scroll, “the biggest stuffed animal we could find. Something about Romy being the tiniest person any of us know besides Meriah. Likes to cuddle big things. Guess that’s why she likes  _ those two, _ at least.”

“Aw, I bet she’s so cute next to one of those giant stuffed animals. Short girls always look cute when they’re all curled up,” Abdera said.

Zohra glanced at Abdera, raising an eyebrow as Abdera continued to look at the same stuffed animal she had pointed out earlier.

It was small, of course it was, and the typical teddy bear, though instead of brown, it was a pristine shade of white.

Zohra glanced over at Abdera, finding herself surprised at her expression. She was staring at it with an almost child-like awe, her hands brought together in front of her as her pink eyes glistened with excitement.

Zohra couldn’t help but think it was cute.

“Alright, alright, you can get it, but we have to find them one too afterwards,” Zohra said, crossing her arms for a moment, but there was a small smile on her lips.

Abdera spun, grinning in excitement.

“Really?!”

Zohra couldn’t help smiling fully, so she ducked her head.

“Yeah, yeah, go get one before I change my mind.”

Abdera laughed and then did something unexpected.

“Thanks!” Abdera said, throwing her arms around Zohra and giving her a quick hug before she dashed off, almost falling over twice in her excitement.

Zohra followed after her, making sure that the other girl didn’t accidentally mess up the stuffed animal.

Abdera was giving her excited looks whenever she wasn’t staring at the bear with an enthusiastic grin. She was bouncing on her toes a bit in anticipation, and the woman working glanced at her nervously.

Zohra glared at her when she started to mutter something under her breath, causing the woman to pale. Abdera didn’t seem to notice, but she was laughing with excitement when she got the toy.

“What are you going to call them?” Zohra asked, unable to help herself.

“Zo-Zo! You know,” Abdera grabbed one of the bear’s legs and waved at Zohra with it, “after the woman that bought her for me.”

Zohra hesitated, and Abdera gave her one last fond look before she spun, looking for the biggest stuffed animal she could find.

Zohra flushed a light shade of red, watching the other girl as she went on a hunt for the stuffed animal they were looking for.

-

Braelyn and Raelynn raced through the flower shop at top speed, doing everything in their power to get them as fast as possible.

“This is taking  _ forever, _ Brae,” Raelynn whined.

“We’ve been here for fifteen minutes,” Braelyn replied.

“Yeah, which means that everyone  _ else _ has been doing what they were doing for fifteen minutes.”

Braelyn hesitated.

“Can you guys hurry up?” she called.

About five minutes later, the two of them had a bouquet of tulips in hand, hurrying out of the store.

-

Kesey felt her scroll buzz, and she glanced at it for a moment.

That was a mistake.

“Who’s messaging you?” Aella asked, not sounding like she was prying, but more genuinely interested.

“Raelynn and Braelyn,” Kesey said before she could think.

Aella grinned.

“Really? Oh, I bet they’re having a rough time at the flower shop… Saffron and Jin said something about them being slow.”

“No… actually, they already have the flowers,” Kesey said, sounding shocked. “They’re wondering…”

“Wondering what?” Aella asked, frowning in confusion.

“If we want to meet up and get the rest of the stuff together,” Kesey said slowly.

“Oh! Yes! We should message them!” Aella hesitated, looking as if she was about to go hunting for her scroll.

Kesey panicked.

“No, don’t worry, I’ll message them,” she said quickly, though she sighed deeply as she did so.

“Great!”

-

Jin looked at the clock nervously.

Aella should be back by now, right?

She said she’d be right back.

Did she get distracted?

That sounded like Aella, but when she was really dedicated to a task, she typically stayed on target.

“Looks like you shouldn’t have been so mean to her, huh?” Romelle asked, raising an eyebrow as she leaned back against Adolpha. “Looks like she’s taking her sweet time.”

“That doesn’t sound like Aella,” Jin said quickly.

Adolpha stared at her.

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have made her feel bad,” Adolpha said, crossing her arms.

Romelle nodded sagely, and Jin grimaced.

“I didn’t know she was there!” she defended.

“Doesn’t mean you didn’t  _ say it, _ Crybaby,” Romelle said, rolling her eyes sufferingly.

Jin flinched at the nickname.

“I said I was sorry!”

“Did you?” Saffron asked, frowning. “Didn’t she run off? To  _ help you _ ?”

Jin looked at her girlfriend, betrayed.

“I tried to apologize! She didn’t let me.”

“Oh yeah, blame the victim,” Lavey said, throwing her arms up in the air.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Auburn said sagely.

“Wh-Auburn?! You too?!” Jin cried.

“RPS is for life, Crybaby,” Adolpha said, smirking just a bit. “So apologize and maybe she’ll get you the stuff you need.”

Saffron suddenly looked frightened.

“Hey, message her now! She has to hurry!” Saffron said urgently. “We have to have the gifts for Romy before she wakes up!”

Jin cursed under her breath before she grabbed her scroll.

-

Kesey felt Aella’s scroll go off, and she glanced at the message when Aella was, regrettably, distracted by Zohra, who was talking to her about cars. Zohra clearly didn’t know a word that Aella was saying, considering she was babbling on and on about things that Kesey and Zohra both had never heard of, but she was listening with intense focus, smiling just a bit.

Jin: Hey I’m sorry about saying that Romy wouldn’t be interested in you. I’m sure there’s girls somewhere out there that would be interested! Don’t feel down on yourself! Can you please hurry back? I want to talk about it.

Kesey’s eyes narrowed at the screen before she deleted the message in its entirety, slipping it back into her pocket.

_ What kinda half-assed apology was  _ **_that_ ** _?! “Somewhere out there?!” Really?! W-B-look around, bitch! _ Kesey thought, glaring at the words.

She deleted that message so that, maybe, just maybe, Jin would come to her senses and realize how stupid that had sounded.

Also, she couldn’t let Aella run away that fast…

-

Jin hesitated as time went by.

An hour later, she sighed in defeat, slumping over and putting her head on Saffron’s shoulder.

“She didn’t even open it…”

-

Aella didn’t seem to notice as the time passed by, humming to herself as they made their way through different stores and shops.

They were all looking for different things for Romy, but it seemed as if there were a suspicious amount of things that were being directed toward each other instead.

“You know, I think you’d look really cute in this shirt,” Raelynn said, holding up a small shirt in front of Aella.

Aella glanced at it.

“That’s… not my size, Rae,” she said, giggling a little.

“She’s always cute, Rae,” Braelyn said, smirking before giving her girlfriend a quick kiss and walkling past.

Aella looked a little awkward.

“Thanks, Brae,” she said, running a hand through her hair nervously.

Braelyn shot her a small smirk before she walked over to where Abdera stood, staring down at the candles.

Abdera glanced over at Braelyn, gaining a shy expression.

“Sorry, I just thought they smelled nice… I’ll get back to looking…”

Braelyn put a hand on Abdera’s arm.

“I think they smell lovely. I bet Romy would like one.”

“You think?” Abdera asked, perking up a little bit in excitement.

“I’m sure she would,” Braelyn replied, leaning a bit against her side.

Abdera glanced over at her for a moment, a shy smile growing across her lips.

“That’s… that’s good,” Abdera said, adding it to the growing list of items they had.

Meanwhile, Zohra reached out to grab a shirt.

Her hand grabbed it, but Kesey’s shot out a moment later.

They both looked up at each other, their eyes narrowing.

“I had it first,” Zohra said.

“Yeah, well I want it more, and I have the stronger grip,” Kesey said, her voice almost taunting.

“Yeah, well, the shirt belongs with me,” Zohra growled.

Kesey’s eyes narrowed and she started to tug on the piece of clothing.

Zohra did the same, and Kesey seemed surprised by that. After all, given her Semblance, she expected people to let go of what she was holding pretty quickly.

They both let out strangled cries as Kesey was dragged forward, colliding before they hit the ground.

Zohra froze for a moment before she glared darkly, kicking at Kesey.

“Get off of me, you idiot!” Zohra hissed.

Kesey groaned and rolled to the side, though she was still clutching the shirt in one hand.

Zohra, who had the shirt pressed tightly against her chest, let out a sound of shock as she was rolled over as well.

“Hey!” Kesey cried, though it was muffled as Zohra hit her.

“Just let go!” Zohra hissed.

“Never!”

“Are… are you two fighting over a shirt on the floor of a store?” Abdera asked, frowning as she looked down at the two.

Zohra flushed.

“She stole it!”

“Finders keepers,” Kesey muttered.

“It was in my hand when you ‘found it,’ Kesey!” Zohra hissed.

“Is everything alright?” Aella asked, frowning as she looked down at the two of them.

“Yeah, we’re fine,” Zohra said, glaring at Kesey.

“Are you fighting over the shirt?” Aella questioned, tilting her head to the side just a bit in confusion.

Kesey and Zohra exchanged a look.

“No,” they said together.

“We weren’t fighting over it,” Zohra said quickly. “I just…”

“Tripped and fell, bumping right into me! Geez, Zo, you really  _ are _ clumsy. Shouldn’t be trusted with anything  _ valuable, _ huh?”

Zohra glared at her, opening her mouth and clearly about to make a scathing remark as a retort, but Aella jumped in.

“I think she could be trusted with something valuable,” Aella said quickly, giving Zohra a blinding smile.

Kesey glared darkly as Zohra flushed a light shade of red.

-

Aella hesitated as she looked outside.

“Wait… what time is it?” Aella asked, frowning in confusion.

The sun had gone down, at some point, but Aella wasn’t sure how long ago.

It couldn’t be that late, right?

Where was her scroll?

She started to pat her pockets for a moment, looking for it.

Kesey huffed quietly.

“Hey, you dropped this inside,” Kesey said, holding out her scroll.

Aella took it, grinning.

“Thanks, Kes! That’s really nice of you!”

Aella took the scroll, and her eyes went wide.

It was  **_eight_ ** ?!

She cursed under her breath, turning to the others.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t think I was going to be… I didn’t think I was going to be out this late. Oh, Jin’s going to be so mad at me… I’ve gotta go! Thanks for helping me, though!” Aella said all in one breath before she raced out toward the street, taking off flying with all of her bags, the others watching her go.


	124. Seven

Aella stumbled as she landed, skidding to a stop.

“Sorry I’m late!” Aella hissed. “I didn’t… I lost track of time, and then I couldn’t find my scroll, and they were all being really nice, and I didn’t expect to see any of them for very long except Kesey, and it just…”

Aella let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair before she carefully put the stuff down in front of Jin and Saffron, who were, puzzlingly enough, sitting  _ outside _ of the infirmary.

“I’m sorry, Jin, I didn’t mean to take so long.”

Aella shot her a guilty smile before she shrugged.

“But, I… I got everything you asked for! Plus… plus a little more, because we got distracted… I didn’t know that Zohra could be so distracting, considering you guys always say she’s boring, but apparently she’s really interested in cars, and that’s  _ awesome, _ because I got to talk to her about-” Aella cut herself off and sighed. “Right, sorry, you’re right, I’m getting off topic again. It won’t happen again, Jin.”

Aella didn’t notice it, but everyone was glaring at Jin.

“Aella, it’s really no problem. I just… I…,” Jin sighed, noticing that everyone was staring at her. “Did you get my message?”

Aella frowned.

“Message? What message?” she asked.

For a moment, Jin wondered if Aella just wanted to hear the words out loud, but she soon came to the conclusion that Aella was legitimately confused.

“I sent you one earlier. About when you were… about three hours ago,” Jin said.

“I didn’t get it,” Aella said, holding up her scroll.

On some level, Jin found herself relieved. On further introspection, that message had seemed…

Rather insulting on some levels…

“Can I talk to you? Alone?” Jin asked.

“Sorry, you need to schedule an appointment with the Detective, she has many problems to fix,” Adolpha said, crossing her arms.

Jin grimaced.

“Please, I just want to talk to you,” Jin said.

Aella sunk down a little.

“I said I was sorry for being late. I… I’m sorry I got distracted! It’s just that Brae and Rae were being all fun and then Zo-”

“Wait, they let you call them Rae and Brae?” Jin asked.

Aella nodded, and Jin growled.

“Right, I need to focus. Aella, that’s not what I want to talk to you about.”

“It’s not?” Aella asked, tilting her head slightly to the side in confusion. “What’d I do?”

“Wh-” Jin huffed. “You didn’t do anything! I’m trying to apologize!” she hissed.

“You are? For what?” Aella asked.

“Fix. This. Now,” Romelle growled.

Jin huffed and pushed herself to her feet, grabbing Aella gently by the wrist and dragging her a little ways away, where she hoped that people wouldn’t be able to hear.

“For earlier. What… what I said about you and Romy. I didn’t mean that.”

Aella frowned for a moment before she rolled her eyes.

“Oh, that’s it? Don’t worry, Jin. I heard worse things today already,” Aella said, waving her hand.

“Wh-from who?!” Jin cried.

Aella laughed and reached one hand up, tapping her forehead.

“Me, silly! You know, insults just bounce around the old noggin all the time! It’s nothing new!”

Jin hesitated.

“You… you what?”

“Yeah, there’s tons of insults packed in here, but we all have those,” Aella said dismissively.

“W… no, we… well, sometimes, but… Aella, are you telling me you have negative thoughts about yourself  _ constantly _ ?!”

“Well, only when I do something wrong,” Aella said, shrugging.

“How often is that?” Jin asked.

“Twenty five point eight times per day on average,” Aella replied.

“That… that’s so specific!” Jin hissed.

“Well, I calculated it!” Aella laughed, rolling her eyes. “So you don’t have to worry about it! Don’t want any rain clouds up in that sunny little head of yours! I mean, you’re about to ask out  _ Romy _ ! Good job!” Aella cried enthusiastically.

“That… that’s not what’s important here, Aella!” Jin hissed.

“Why not?”

“Because you’re constantly thinking negative things about yourself!”

“Well, sometimes they’re other voices instead of mine,” Aella said, shrugging, as if that would make a difference.

Jin cringed.

“Who?”

“Well, there’s Adolpha, Lavey, Crystal, Akio a few times, you, the twins… Saffron once or twice, Rosemary  _ one time, _ but not since, and… well, Colby’s there constantly…,” Aella forced a laugh, “I still hear that one time where he said I was a ‘ADHD flying gremlin with an IQ the level of a potato.’”

Jin’s eyes widened in shock, and Aella shrugged.

“Yeah, they’re just the voices. You know, it’s weird, but Illy and Coopy aren’t really in there often. I hear good things sometimes… and then,” Aella grinned a little, “today the voices were all gone, I guess that’s why I got distracted. It was… it was nice, I guess.”

Jin hesitated. She supposed she could get back to that in a minute.

“Aella, that’s… that’s not healthy.”

“Oh! I have that one! It’s not in your voice, but I’ve heard it!” Aella said.

Jin cringed.

“N-no, I… Aella, I’m trying to help. I’m sorry about what I said, and I’m sorry about  _ everything _ I said! I don’t want you to hear my voice like that anymore.”

“Well neither do I,” Aella gave her a smile, “join the club!”

Jin set her hand on Aella’s shoulder.

“I didn’t mean that you weren’t good enough for Romy. I didn’t mean that you weren’t going to find someone. I’m  _ convinced _ that you’re going to find the perfect woman one day, Aella. And… I don’t know what else I said, but I’m sorry.”

Aella hesitated for a minute before she forced a laugh.

“Like I said, Jin, it doesn’t really matter. Of course you made fun of me, that’s what we do! After all, there’s a whole day! Make Fun of Aella Sun Belladonna-Schnee Day! Oh, I have  _ so many _ memories of that!”

-

Adolpha’s heart stopped.

“Are you okay?” Romelle asked, leaning closer to her in concern.

Adolpha couldn’t respond. After all, it wasn’t  _ her _ she was worried about.

-

“We’re changing  _ that _ immediately,” Jin muttered.

“What? Why?” Aella sounded legitimately concerned. “Everyone loves that day.”

Jin winced.

“But… you don’t like it, do you?”

For the first time, Aella stumbled.

“I… well, if it makes you guys happy, why does it matter?”

Jin reached out and pulled her sister in for a tight hug.

“Is something wrong? Oh, come here,” Aella pulled her closer, “I give great hugs. You know, I hear that sometimes. Coopy Poo and Romy said it once…”

Jin held her tighter as the gliders were wrapped around her.

“You do give great hugs, Aella. And from now on, we’re going to appreciate that, and more, from now on. Come on.”

Jin picked her up, causing Aella to let out a sound of shock, and walked back over to the group.

“Alright. Everyone’s going to say something nice about Aella  _ right now. _ ”

“First time for everything,” Romelle muttered.

Jin glared at her.

“Ellie, you give  _ the best _ hugs!” Cooper said immediately, grinning.

Aella smiled a little, looking down bashfully.

“Thanks, Coopy Poo,” Aella muttered, playing with her cloak.

“You’re the best comforter I’ve ever known. You just… you just  _ get _ people, Aella,” Adolpha said.

Aella hesitated for a moment, a shy smile growing across her lips for a moment.

“Thanks… I really try to help…”

“You’re a fixer, Aella,” Romelle said gently. “You fixed my sister, you fixed me, and… you’ve fixed so many people.”

Aella brought one hand up to cover her mouth.

“You put this whole group together from scratch. None of this could have happened without you, Detective,” Akio said.

Aella wiped at one of her eyes.

“You saved Romy from herself, you brought her out of her depression,” Rosemary said.

“You did what we never could. Thank you for taking care of her,” Saffron said.

“And you,” Jin gave her a lopsided grin, “deserve  _ so _ many girlfriends.”

“How many?” Clover called.

“Six?” Jin asked.

“What? Did you see her with Yvenne? Comforting her? Nah, you have to bump that up!”

“Seven?” Jin questioned.

There was a tense silence in the room before they all started to nod.

“Yes, seven.”

“Definitely.”

“Seven sounds good.”

“Definitely enough.”

“Wh-seven?!” Aella hissed. “How would… I don’t think I could handle  _ that many, _ ” she continued, chuckling awkwardly as her face turned red.

“You handled depressed Romy pretty much on your own. You’ve got this covered,” Romelle said, waving her hand dismissively. “Even when the reasons for her depression kept knocking on the door. LITERALLY!”

Jin and Saffron winced.

Aella didn’t seem convinced.

“Girlfriends aren’t like depressed people! You… you gotta make them fall for you, and I’m awkward, so…”

“Awkward?!” Jin cried. “You’re not awkward. You’re the only one in this group that can handle emotions, Aella! I’m sure you’d have no problem wooing seven or so girls in your sleep! Bet you wouldn’t even notice!”

Aella giggled.

“Nobody could be  _ that _ oblivious!”

Neo and Ciel pushed the door open.

“Yeah! Long live Aella and her seven girlfriends!” Auburn cheered.

Neo and Ciel blinked.

_ ‘SHE HAS HOW MANY GIRLFRIENDS?!’ _

Everyone turned, eyes wide.

Now… this one might be a little difficult to explain…


	125. Lady Killer

Romy stirred a bit where she sat, and Cooper looked up with wide eyes.

He was the only one in the infirmary at the moment, disregarding Yvenne.

“Hey, Romy,” Cooper said gently.

He looked around, hoping that someone would appear.

Everyone had taken a five minute mandatory break, which had been set by Jaune, and Cooper was the only one left, considering it was his shift.

Romy moved a bit, groaning groggily.

“Coooop?” she asked, squinting.

Cooper realized that moment that she was on  _ so much _ pain medicine.

“Where… what happened?” she slurred.

“I… I wasn’t actually there, but you got hurt, and now you’re here.”

“Mmm… that… that makes sense. Everything  _ does _ kinda hurt… a lot…,” Romy said. She squirmed a little, but she didn’t sit up. “What… what happened while I was out.”

“Well, uh, nothing big,” Cooper said. “I mean… some life-changing realizations came along, but I can’t spoil those for you, they’d want to tell you themselves… everyone’s been really worried, and they all stepped out for a minute, but they’ll be back soon… uh… Aella was helping everyone get stuff together for when J-I-I mean, when something happened… and then Jin insulted her-”

Romy made a groan of protest.

“That’s… that’s it! I… I love that… that girl, but… that’s too…,” Romy got distracted by something Cooper couldn’t see, “that’s… that’s too far… she’s gonna have to… shit, what’s it called when you say sorry?”

“Repent? Apologize?” Cooper offered.

“That’s it!”

“She did! And then we started saying nice things about Aella.”

The door pushed open, and Saffron and Jin were the first two to walk in, followed by Aella.

Jin and Saffron dropped the food in their hands, eyes wide.

“Aella!” Romy called drunkenly. “You’re… you’re a lady killer!”

Aella stopped for a moment.

“Wh-she’s awake! And… she called me… lady killer?” Aella seemed completely confused.

“La… Romy!” Saffron cried, shooting forward.

Jin followed just as fast, but Romy was already starting to fade out of consciousness already.

“Why’s she a lady killer?” Cooper asked, frowning.

Jin and Saffron glared at him darkly as he spoke, and his eyes widened as soon as he realized that he had taken Romy’s attention away from Jin and Saffron.

“Did… did you not… see her at the dinner? She had, like a BAJILLION girls all ove… over her…”

Romy yawned and passed out just like that, leaving everyone staring in disbelief.

Aella glanced around.

“Did anyone hear her call me a lady killer? I’m… I’m not a serial killer…”


	126. Never Been Better

Sunlight crept in through the window, and Jin glanced over at Saffron, who had been asleep curled up in the chair for the last few hours while Jin kept watch over Romy.

The two of them had been sleeping in shifts for the past two days, not wanting to miss any opportunities to see her wake up. Also, they were scared something might happen to her if they left for even a moment, but they didn’t want to talk about that as much.

Jin saw Romy squirm a bit where she slept, and for a moment, she thought she was just seeing things. She hadn’t been sleeping much, and when she had been, it hadn’t been very restful, and she blinked in disbelief.

Despite that, Romy moved a bit more, and Jin reached over, slapping Saffron on the arm a multitude of times.

“What?” she asked, groaning as she curled up a little.

“She’s awake!” Jin hissed, seeming not to believe her own words.

Saffron bolted upright, her eyes widening in disbelief.

The two of them scurried over to her bed, each looking both terrified and excited.

“Romy!” they cried, though, in retrospect, it seemed like that was a bad way to overwhelm a person who had just woken up from a coma.

Romy groaned at the noise, reaching one hand up to cradle her head, but she hissed as she moved her arm.

“What happened?” Romy asked. She sounded tired, but wasn’t slurring, which was a good thing.

“You got hit and then you fell unconscious and now you’re here,” Saffron said quickly.

“How long was I asleep?” Romy asked, trying to sit up.

Jin caught her and gently helped her.

“Thirty-nine hours, fifteen minutes, and,” Saffron glanced at her watch again, “ten seconds.”

Romy groaned and put a hand on her head.

“Oh. That’s… that’s a little while,” Romy said. “I… I think I remember waking up?”

Saffron grimaced.

“Yeah, you did, for about two minutes, called Aella a… lady killer? And then you fell unconscious.”

“I spoke only the truth,” Romy muttered.

At that moment, she seemed to realize that Saffron and Jin were helping her, and her face turned a bright shade of red.

“U-uh, has… has anyone  _ seen _ Aella, speaking of? Or Romelle?” Romy asked.

Jin’s eye twitched.

“No, she left a little bit ago to get some things.”

“Oh… w-well, thanks for being here…,” Romy seemed to be looking for an escape for a moment.

Saffron and Jin hesitated for a moment and glanced at each other.

“There… was something we wanted to tell you,” Jin said slowly, a hesitant tone in her voice.

“We love you!” Saffron blurted out, her tail wagging behind her in excitement.

Romy stared at them incredulously.

Jin flushed and glanced at her girlfriend, but she didn’t deny it.

In fact, she spoke up almost immediately.

“It’s true. I would have said it more tactfully, but… yes, we love you.”

Romy was still staring at the two with a look of absolute confusion.

“I… well… you see, I’m…,” Romy took a deep breath, a look of pain coming over her features. “I’m Romy.”

They stared at her.

“And that means that Romelle is outside, and you’re… yeah, this is the wrong twin. I… I wish you all the luck in the world, but… she’s pretty monogamous, but… well,” Romy flushed a dark shade of red, “I don’t know how anyone could say no to you two, so good luck.”

Saffron and Jin were silent for a long moment.

“Wh-I-we… we  _ said your name _ !” Jin hissed.

Saffron let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank Dust, I thought I was misremembering that.”

Romy stared at the two of them, her look of resignation turning to hope.

“You… what?” Romy asked quietly.

Saffron reached her gloveless hand forward and grabbed Romy’s in her own.

“We’re in love with you, Romy,” Saffron scrounged around behind her for a moment before she grinned. “We… got you some stuff, and, we…”

“We were going to ask you out right away when you got back,” Jin continued for her, “but then…”

Romy didn’t seem to notice as Saffron scrambled around, trying to find all of the gifts that they had gotten her.

Saffron hesitated for a moment before she struggled with the jacket she was wearing, finally yanking it off and adding it to the growing pile of stuff.

“You… you what?” Romy asked.

Jin leaned closer, gently putting her hand on Romy’s face and being careful not to hurt her.

“I love you, Romy,” Jin whispered.

Romy took one moment to think before she leaned forward, perhaps too fast for her injured body, grabbing onto Jin’s face, with her good hand, and pulling her closer.

Jin made a sound of shock, but her eyes fluttered shut as Romy kissed her, pulling her as close as she could with an injured side, arm, and quite possibly everything else.

Jin wanted to continue, but Romy pulled a bit slightly, panting for breath after the short kiss, clutching her side as soon as she got her arm back from Jin.

Romy still seemed to be in a state of disbelief, and there were tears in her eyes.

She was suddenly shocked by the realization that she recognized the expression on Jin’s face. She’d seen it so many times, both on Adolpha when she looked at Romelle and Jin when she looked at Saffron.

But… for the first time since she’d known of this look’s existence… it was directed right at her.

“I love you, too,” Romy whispered, pressing her forehead against Jin’s gently. “I… this…”

Romy couldn’t find any words to express how excited she was, nor how little she could believe this was happening…

But…

But that kiss hadn’t been anything she could imagine, hadn’t been something she could just make up in her head. That  _ had _ to be the real deal.

Saffron dashed over and sat down by the side of the bed, holding out flowers and a large stuffed teddy bear.

Saffron grinned, ignoring Jin and leaning closer to Romy with a fond look in her eyes.

“I love you, Romy,” Saffron said, reaching out to put her bare hand on Romy’s own.

“I love you, too.”

Romy felt her eyes watering, and she started to lean forward. At the slightest movement, Saffron grinned in excitement, her tail already poofing up a bit, and she leaned forward, cradling her face to kiss her.

Romy smiled into the kiss, and for a long moment, it was perfect.

Until the moment went on a little bit too long, and Romy’s side started to have sharp, stabbing pains.

She groaned and Saffron pulled back, her eyes going wide with fear.

“Are you alright?!” she hissed.

Jin gave her a frustrated look, as if she couldn’t believe that Saffron had just hurt Romy.

“Yeah,” Romy flushed a light shade of red. “Actually… I don’t think I’ve ever been better.”


	127. Out Takes

So this isn’t really a chapter, just a list of TERRIBLE, HILARIOUS ideas that were come up with in the making of this fic,.

None of these are counted as “canon” to this story here, but if we get enough comments in support of me writing one or more of these as little spin off chapters, then I’ll go ahead and do it!

Here are the ideas we said no to that could be written-

  * Romy died and met the brothers, who proceeded to tell her about the other characters and how they felt about them
  * At a gig, Saffron is the subject of people incessantly throwing water bottles at her because she’s getting distracted (by Romy)
  * Rosemary talks about how the leader singer of the Thunder Bears looks familiar
  * Characters with really bad eyesight (that might actually happen)



Here are some that will not be written-

  * Rosemary dating Jin
  * Saffron dating Akio
  * Adolpha and Romy
  * Jin and Romelle
  * Ilesha not dating Crystal
  * Cassandra being able to duplicate things with her semblance



We had a lot more, if you give us some time to think about it, we’ll have EVEN MORE and start making a list!


End file.
